Project 52(I've moved to http://bethfred.com)

Transitions

2011-01-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Lots of them.

I'd planned this beautiful new year's post about my aspiration to be a better person with specific goals to help me accomplish that. It was supposed to be one of the first posts of the new year and one of my first posts at bethfred.com (which brings me to transition 1). However, I've tossed my glorious idea for this beautiful post and all of it's lyrical lines. Because as it usually does, life happened.

Transition 1: (No my transitions are not this abrupt in my fiction, promise...or at least only on pages where Jennifer screams in red ink "Are you serious?"). bethfred.com was an idea I had tossed around thinking maybe an easier domain would make me easier to find, friend, follow. But I've grown attached to P-52 and love all the awesome followers I have here. I decided not to do it because I would hate to miss any of you. Then, the unthinkable happened. Yes, my gmail account got hacked by some crazy virus. My password was locked and since blogger is attached to my gmail a year of my life was gone. I cried and screamed while my meticulously logical personal engineer set to work. I'm not the person to have had this problem. Following some steps sometimes allows you to recover your blog, but not always. My p.e. followed the steps and we got lucky. Lots of people don't get that lucky. It was time for a change. I'm taking the chance. I'm jumping to bethfred and hope you'll tag along.

Transition 2: I'm in Milwaukee now and it's cold. That's a big jump from Austin, Texas. The Mexican food sucks here, but I'll have more time to write/blog/comment which means you should be seeing more of me.

Transition 3: Two days before I was supposed to quit my government job and follow my husband to the tundra my grandfather died. It was surreal. My family cried when they called to tell me and several people called to tell me. Pain gnawed at my stomach and in my throat but I didn't cry and as the hysteria wore off so did the pain. We drove the six hours from Austin to Paris and it still hadn't hit me. My grandmother hadn't made it home yet when we got there. The house was empty, dark, and silent, unusual. Still, it hadn't hit me. Ironically, the hardest thing to see in that house was the glass cake pan full of biscuits. The last batch he would ever make. I could feel the tears kicking in, because my whole life there had been biscuits in the center of that table and now there will only be an empty spot where the biscuits go. I quickly turned away from the table before the tears had time to escape. One day later I was asked to edit his obituary. His life reduced to two paragraphs of straight forward plain text on regular white typing paper. The realization sunk in. He's gone leaving a void in my life. A transition I wasn't prepared to deal with. I took a purple shirt and an old copy of Lonesome Dove, and that's all I have left of my grandfather.

This is my last post here at Project 52, so I hope to see you at bethfred. I'll be kicking beth's blog off with a contest, because that is my style. First prize winner gets their choice of a $25 visa gift card or a book of their choice. Second prize is whatever the first prize winner didn't choose. Sloppy leftovers, but free stuff all the same.

Split Book 52

2010-12-31T15:44:00.000-08:00

*Flash to Beth levitating as gold coins drop all around her like when u beat level 13 in Mario Bros. (Yes, I know this dates me). I finished the project with 6 hours to spare!* WOOHOOO

Now for a brief (and I do mean brief) review of Book 52. Split is a book that deals with domestic violence, but what I liked about it was that it didn't just deal with the abuse. It dealt with what the abuse does to a person. How child abuse still affects the victim in adulthood and I thought it addressed this quite well dealing with all the complex angles of it. I also liked that it dealt with the relationships of two siblings who grew up in an abusive home and how they relate and interact with each other.

I didn't like that it was in the present because as previously mentioned it just annoys me. Also, there were some things I didn't find believable and I thought the abusive father was a bit overplayed.

It's a good book. I recommend it.

Intertwined Book 51/Contest Winners

2010-12-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I'm late on announcing the winners, but they're at the bottom of this post. Promise. Although, I will be up front it will most likely be the last week of January before I can actually mail your books due to some changes coming in my life that I can't post about yet. Soon though, very soon.

Now on to Intertwined. The premise gave a whole new spin to paranormal romance. Aden Stone is shipped from juvey home to mental institution and back again his whole because, well, when you walk around talking to yourself that is likely to happen. Except he's not really talking to himself. He's talking to the souls that reside in his head. He meets a girl.--She's not the one, but they can still be friends. (Heard that one before, lol). And so they are, which is probably for the best since the girl is in love with a rabid wolf. Aden falls for a vampire princess who the werewolf is supposed to be protecting. They're all running from packs of faeries/witches/goblins and Aden has a special disdain for...zombies. That's right, zombies....As you can see an intriguing read. I liked that it pretty much took off from the beginning.

I didn't think the romance was there though. The book was well written with all the perspectives that had to be covered but it just missed that special little spark for me. All in all it was a good read.

I ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK LEFT TO READ BEFORE FRIDAY.

On to the winners: Two books for Maggie and one for Jen Albin.

Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest

2010-12-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who saw my check back message earlier I'm sorry. Chris, thanks for the official forgiveness.

Be Jolly by Golly is hosted by Jen and Melissa.

As far as decorations go we usually decorate for Advent first with wreaths. If I have young family members coming over I've been known to make pink and purple paper chains as well. (They can easily be replaced with green and red on Christmas Eve). We don't have children yet, but I've made a pie plate Advent wreath with my little nephew one year and we enjoyed that. You just buy the aluminum pie plate, three purple candles, one pink one, and one white one and arrange them nicely inside the pie plate. (The fat candles work better for this). Then you can buy either a wreath or evergreen garland, or whatever you want really from the dollar store or hobby lobby and decorate the outside of the pie plate. He really seemed to love this and it was a good way to teach him the prayers too. Usually, on Christmas Eve I would put up my tree but this year we don't have one. LOL.

I don't really do a lot of cooking for the holidays. We like to go somewhere really nice for Christmas brunnch (the kind of place we'd never be able to go to the rest of the year). But I do love puppy chow (you can find the recipe here). It's great for gift bags or just sitting out to munch on before the meal starts.

Contest Reminder

2010-12-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hey just a reminder that my contest is open until Christmas Eve. It's open internationally. The first prize winner gets two books of their choice. The second place winner gets one book of their choice. You can find the details and how to enter here. And I have to go Christmas shopping so that's all for today.

Blah.

2010-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Yep. Nothing. Sorry. I just had to get that stupid letter off my blog. It's kind of saddening to think it almost got worse every time! LOL. Well, I sent version #8 with the materials to be critiqued. I had to copy and paste the first 50 pages after I made what little corrections I was able to into its own document on a comp. I don't usually use. I don't know how but somehow even with the same font style and size 50 pages in the full document was 61 in the new. I didn't get to send the scene I really wanted to. Not to mention I exected to have about 3 rounds of edits left. (I've done about three). After last night I'm convinced I have ten rounds of edits left. I, also, won't be surprised when my critique comes back looking like this:

Dear Ms. Fred,

Have you ever heard of a comma? They have handbooks for these things you know. You might benefit from one. I usually don't recommend them but in this case I feel it's appropriate. And is not the only conjunction in the English language. You do know English, right? Seriously, did you even read this? I think my suggestion is keep your day job.

Thanks,
Agent.

I guess the only upside is since I know it will look like this, I won't be devestated when I see it? Haha. I'm not sure. I know it's just a critique and that this wasn't supposed to be a submission to begin with, but I just hate for any professional to see my work in that state. The irony is when I finished the last round of edits and clicked save I was so proud! I thought I'd really fixed it. Oh sure, I knew there would be more revisions. I figured they'd be of the following sorts: 1)omit passive voice 2)tighten verbal tics of characters 3)grammatical errors. I had no idea the backbone of the plot was still confusing and that there were still some holes to fill...AND THAT UNFORTUNTATELY MOST OF THIS WAS IN THE BEGINNING...the part I would be sending. But I survived. I guess.

Last Try for a While

2010-12-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

I bid on an auction for an agent critique on ebay. Irene Goodman is going to critique my first 50 pages, query letter and synopsis. While it's just a critique, I still want my work to be as polished as possible. This is going to be my last try for a while, because I know that I have a draft of another project to finish and when I get comments back for PF there is more work to do before I'm ready to query. Still, I find my heart pounding against a tough exterior as I make final changes. But I love the blog, because I could barely think straight when I started typing. So this is going to be my last try for a while, but can you give me one more look?

Thanks so much guys.

Dear Agent:

Eighteen year old Brandi O'Malley knows phantom flames want to whisk her next door neighbor, former friend, ultimate enemy and long-time love interest (whether she would admit or not) Laurent Stephens (also eighteen) away forever. But she can’t mention this because she would have to admit her family bears an ancient curse causing her to sometimes live in a moment that hasn’t happened yet. A moment that unfolds to be watched by all like a play.

Laurent torments Brandi in anyway that he can and with the help of his girlfriend, he does a good a job of it. When the handsome charmer, eighteen year old Damian Cooper, dances into Brandi’s life, Laurent’s actions go from cruel to protective. Laurent knows what he’s protecting her from. A secret he will never tell for fear of turning their love-hate relationship to pure hate.

Laurent must find a way to protect his girl next door from the menace he brought into her life without letting her find out exactly how he knows Damian. But Brandi has her own secret: the fire she watches Laurent disappear in every night.

If she's going to fight the flames, the secrets and lies must end. If she loses, the fire claims her love forever.

With your interest in young adult Phantom Fires, a young adult urban fantasy complete at 104,000 words, should appeal to you. I look forward to hearing back from you as I believe together we could both tell and sell a good story. You can reach me at bethfred08@gmail.com or by phone at ___. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy Brandi's story.

Thank you,

Beth Fred

Take 10

2010-12-16T05:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the critiques yesterday. I appreciate all your commentary. I realize it's a long story but I've cut just over 10,000 words since the first draft and there isn't anything left to cut without harming the story...I tried again.

Dear Agent:

Should she keep her secret, phantom flames would whisk her neighbor, friend, enemy, and long time love interest (whether or not she's realized it) eighteen year old Laurent Stephens (who antagonizes her) away forever. Should she confront the mysteries and try to find a cause for the mystical fire, eighteen year old Brandi O'Malley would be forced to admit her family bears an ancient curse causing her to sometimes live in a moment that hasn’t happened yet. A moment that unfolds to be watched by all like a play.

To further complicate matters, a stranger danced into Brandi's life turning Laurent's actions from cruel to protective in a heartbeat. Aware of Damian's dark side, Laurent's insistent on keeping Brandi safe. He knows what he’s protecting her from. A secret he will never reveal for fear of turning their love-hate relationship to pure hate.

Brandi knows the boys share a secret that neither are telling her. She even suspects it has something to do with the fire she watches Laurent disappear in every night. To fight fantasy flames she must uncover the truth behind the lies.

Phantom Fires is a young adult urban fantasy complete at 104,000 words. I look forward to hearing back from you and appreciate your time.

Insanity by Query

2010-12-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

You wanna know what happens after you've written 9 versions of a query and your CP says 9 is worse than number 8? Well, the truth is to be able to answer that ? my brain would still have to be forming coherent thoughts. It's not.

So I think it's best if I just relay the following set of events.

Briana, my mc's overachieving older sister, got so frustrated by my thoughts she wrote this.

"Dear Agent:

Your arbitrary process is grating on my creator's nerves so badly she is ready to start killing off my family members, that punk next door, and myself. This is a rather unfortunate situation but as you know I protect my family, so if I'm forced to I will resort to using the book. The problem is I don't know whether to use it on you or my creator. I trust you will remedy this.

Thank you,
Briana

Which got a rise out of Brandi and before she passed it to me to be mailed she screamed (as only a teenage girl can) "Quit calling him a punk!" Yes, that's love.

Of course, I'm not nearly crazy enough to mail something like that. (Though, if you've read this far you're probably questioning that).

But Briana's letter really did lighten my mood. And all I could do was think if Briana were in this situation what would she do. I laughed because I knew what Briana would do and that inspired query # 10. (Which, if I were being honest I would have to admit I've though more than once. However, I need an agent so this blog does not promote honesty. I've never thought this. It's merely part of my query inspired insanity and tomorrow I will remember nothing about it).

Dear Agent:

Phantom Fires is way better than Twilight. The heroine is not an overly altruistic 30 year old woman trapped in a 17 year old girl's body. The hero is not dead (though I must admit I have a thing for hot dead guys that sparkle and shine). No one is drained, or even threatened of being drained and it has fire. If you would like 15% please call me. If not, peace out. *flash to Beth pulling Armani shades over icy blue eyes as she single handedly pulls a cherry jollyrancher lollypop out of her mouth to blow you a kiss*

~Beth~

Disclaimer: I'm terribly sorry if I have offended any well meaning, arbitrary system using agents. In a moment of honesty, I'm sure they would understand just what queries can do to a person who already walks a fine line with sanity.

Wed & Writing: 8th Try (PLEASE HELP)!!!

2010-12-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, thanks to everyone for all the comments last week. Since most of them were about the projections and I don't think that's the focus of the book, I've completely rewritten the query. Eight times to be exact, including three versions I never intended to use because they were from different characters' povs. So now, I'm asking again, please critique my query.
Dear Agent:

Three people have become connected in a web of secrets, but only two should have ever known each other. Brandi O’Malley is the girl next door. Laurent Stephens grew up in the house beside her and has made a hobby of tormenting her. Damian Cooper is a mystery man with an alleged dark side.

When the handsome charmer, Damian, dances into Brandi’s life, Laurent’s actions go from cruel to protective. Laurent knows what he’s protecting her from. A secret he will never tell for fear of turning their love-hate relationship to pure hate.

Brandi knows phantom flames want to whisk Laurent away forever. She can’t mention this because she would have to admit her family bears an ancient curse causing her to sometimes live in a moment that hasn’t happened yet. A moment that unfolds to be watched like a play.

To fight the flames she must uncover the secrets. Failing is not an option because a phantom fire wants to steal the love of her life.

Phantom Fires is a young adult urban fantasy complete at 104,000 words. I look forward to hearing back from you and appreciate your time.

13 To Life Book 50

2010-12-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

First of all, look at that heading. Book 50, I might make it through this project after all! YAY!!!!

Okay, I'm okay now.

No joke, I like romance, especially that of the paranormal/magical variety. I just really do. Very few books really do it for me: Twilight, Shiver (Book 1), Shade (until she jolted me at the end) and The Iron Daughter (Ash really manned up). I looked at the title and assumed the girl was 13 and that it just wouldn't do it for me. But my friend and CP kept going on and on about how great it was and sent me a battered copy from where she had thorougly read it more than once, so I thought I'll give it a try. I'm glad I did.

So what do you get when you throw hot guys, werewolves, the Russian Mafia, Cold War Politics, and the CIA together? Defintiely not Forks. The answer is 13 to Life. There is so much more to this book than werewolves. And occassionally the author throws in a little tidbit that really reflects on issues but it's just enough to give the book a taste of the real world and hopefully make people think about things without being preacy. I really enjoyed that. (There is a brief discussion about health insurance and a one liner about justice for immigrants).

Now I can't lie. This book isn't perfect. I felt there were some serious problems with the pacing for the first 150 pages. It would get really good and then just slow almost to a stop. Beginnings of books can be hard (not just for the reader, but the writer as well). There is so much to set-up. But 150 pages for the pace to really pick up is a bit too long for a 300 page book. The good news is that once the pace does pick up it doesn't stop until the last page. And then you're screaming for the sequel.

The other problem I had with the book was the MC, Jessie. She just never seemed quite believable to me. She has a best friend who did something so horrible, she should probably be in jail and though the book doesn't say this I'm guessing she would be had she not been a rich kid.(But that's the law school drop out coming out). Jessie was way too forgiving of this. At first, I really liked her, liked that she could overlook that. Then I realized they were never friends to begin with and I was just like wow. She needs to be institutionalized.

But all in all it was a good book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Advent--Crazy Holiday Blogfest

2010-12-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if it's an actual holiday but I think my favorite holiday of the year would have to be Advent. In fact, I love it so much I'm hosting a contest for it here.

I could tell you that I love advent because the entire church is decorated in pink and purple. While the readings can be ominous the music is upbeat. I could tell you I love Advent because it is the one time of the year I can push my entire home into a blur of pink and purple without listening to my husband complain. All of this would be true. But the thing I really love about Advent is the anticipation--the anxiously waiting. The way the story unfolds.

Most holidays last a day. They are the event. Family comes or family leaves. There are customs to be shuffled through without ever wondering why the became customs in the first place. We get through the day. It ends. It's over until next year, because, well, tomorrow is just another day. But Advent is not the event. It's the coming of an event. It's the preparation for the event. It's the well manicured tension of a complex plot building to a climax. It's a month long. Each week a new candle lit until it unfolds, dissovles. Advent fades into Christmas, the climax. In a lot of ways Advent is a writer's dream holiday not only blanketed in often beautiful language but color and ceremony.

Contest Reminder

2010-12-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

Hey just wanted to remind everyone that I'm giving away two books of the winner's choice. A second person will receive one book of their choice. The contest and rules are here. I'll announce the winners the day after Christmas. They'll tell me the books they want and I'll send it.

Also, my friend Jen at Unedited is four followers from 1000, so if four of you could hop over and follow her, I know she'll appreciate it!

XOXOXO,
Beth

Shade Book 49

2010-12-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

All I can say about Jeri Redi Smith's Shade is wow. Really wow. The book is well written with an extremely interesting premise(duing a winter solsitce a massive shift occurs. Everyone born after the shift sees ghosts in shiny shade of violet. Only a handfull of people before the shift could ever see a ghost and they they were in color). All the way through the book stays interesting, but it's not one of those books where there is so much going on that you just can't keep up. It really is a twist on the paranormal romance.

But as good as this book was I'm not sure it'll make it to my faves list. I didn't really care for the ending. I won't give it away but I can say that I didn't care for the ending enough that there is a good chance I won't be reading Shift, the sequel. I suppose you could say I'm a bad sport. This is the first time I've ever been on a losing team in a paranormal romance drama. My heart now goes out to all those Team Jacob people who had to watch Bella marry Edward Cullen, especially those who stuck it through to the very end. However, I can't watch my guy lose, so I'll cut bait.

There is one other thing that really bothered me. I can't give too many specifics of it without giving a whole lot away, but a situation arises where an authority figure attempts to "persuade" a teen ager to do something and in doing so the adult admits that they don't really want anyone to know of their practices. I admit I'm bit older than 17, but I do talk to a lot of teen agers and it just seems to me the first thing any teen ager would have done at the point is fb, tweet, blog, text, utube the world. And if this character had done that I think she might have saved herself a whole lot of trouble. Not doing so almost seemed like a plot device.

That being said Jeri really is a brilliant writer and if she hadn't put my guy on the losing team I'd so be scarfing the net looking for ARCs of the sequel right now.

Wed & Writing: HELP!!!!

2010-12-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

PLEASE CRITIQUE MY QUERY

Dear Agent:

Brandi O'Malley is just the girl next door. Well, she is once you've overlooked her uncontrollable projections. The projections force her to live in either the past or the future simultaneous with the present. She constantly lives the worst moments of her life or projects horrid possibilities. The worst part of it is these projections are vividly real and play out for anyone to see.

She has always known her family was “special” but as she tries to make sense of her new found abilities she struggles to understand the sometimes cruel actions of her former best friend and next door neighbor Laurent Stephens.

Laurent's actions turn from cruel to protective the moment Damian Cooper dances into Brandi's life.

As Brandi's projections grow stronger so do Laurent's reactions to her new found love interest, the perfect gentleman, Damian. Is it possible Damian is just a bit “too” nice? Contemplating this, she begins to realize Laurent has a dark secret, a secret connecting him to none other than Damian Cooper. The only thing he will say is that Damian is evil, but it's Laurent Brandi continuously projects disappearing in phantom flames.

Caught at a crossroads, she knows either the boy she grew up with and has known all of her life or the sensitive and charming Damian is lying to her. Join Brandi as she journeys towards the revelation of secrets and true love.

Phantom Fires, a young adult urban fantasy, is complete at 104,000 words. I believe this could be the first book of a series.

I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing back from you.

Thank you,

Beth Fred

Book 48 and a Plea to the Powers that Be

2010-12-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Reminder, you can enter to win two free books here. And the first person to leave a comment telling me how to make a sidebar on this post gets one extra entry.
Heather Swain's Selfish Elf Wish is book 48. It's a cute story about an Elvin family who moves from their hidden town of Averland to Brooklyn. It's actually a sequel, though it's easy enough to understand without having read the first book. It's another teen age love story with a splash of supernatural.

I found Zephyr, the main character, to be a pretty typical altruistic YA mc. On the other hand, I found her cousin Briar to be refreshing. Briar seemed more like a real teen ager (or real person) to me. She's not a bad person. She has no desire to really hurt anyone, but she wants to get what she wants too and she's willing to take some risk and be michevious to do it. But she's not mean girl. Briar and Zephyr each have a crush on a boy that can't make up his mind. Their reacations are totally different. Briar is waiting for him to make up his mind and Zephyr just waits. I don't really like that Zephyr felt she had to wait around forever for this boy to decide he was over his ex, but I think a lot of young girls (and even old ones) find them self in that situation. But at least in the beginning, I didn't really like Zephyr's crush, Timber. She freaks out and gets kind of jealous, but she admits it. He just tells her it won't work if she's going to act "crazy." And Beth would have said, "Loser, if I tell you I'm jealous that you're making out w/ your ex on stage and she's glaring at me while kissing you, you say "Sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about." Not that I'm acting crazy! You wanna see crazy??? But Zephyr admits to acting crazy and goes home feeling bad.

Throw in some almost accidental love spells and a pair of dark elves and things get a little crazy. But all is well that ends well. Everything works out.

Now for my desperate plea to the powers that be in YA, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE quit publishing present! This book was okay, but present always annoys me and it gets awkward. It's not just this one, several YA books have been printed in present recently, and I can't think of a good reason for it. I've only seen one author be able to use the present tense in such a way so that it was not distracting. Even she had moments that could only be described as wordy awkwardness. Meanwhile, many a good book have suffered from this presentitis. So let's cure the plague and root the words back where they must be by the time something has been reduced to writing!

Six Things Before 6 A.M.

2010-12-02T03:54:00.000-08:00

1. Win a book of your choice by entering my contest here.
2. Follow my friend Maggie because she likes to write and has a blog that needs to be followed.
3. I woke up at 3 am. Obviously, I did not go back to sleep. I spent two hours trying to go back to sleep before finally giving in to consciousness.
4. It is not even 6 am and I have used half of my calories for the day. Is it any wonder I'm obese?
5. Now I must write.
6. Recap--cool contest, cool friend, up way too early and must write.

Bye-bye for now but ttyl.

Contest, Book 47, Etc.

2010-11-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent and my favorite Sunday of the year ;). As an apology for my extended blogcation I'd planned to post an Advent contest but never quite made it there. I missed the first Sunday of Advent and know that not everyone celebrates Advent. So I thought we'd make it a Christmas contest. (I know--not everyone celebrates Christmas either, but most people seem to know it's a holiday). So leave a comment on this post, follow me, blog it, fb it, tweet it, buzz it. Do what you gotta, just know you will get 1 entry for leaving me a comment and 1 entry for each social network you choose to post me on every day you choose to do it and 2 entries for following me. (Please provide links to electronic shout-outs). What will you win? Any book you want (under $25 Come on. I'm a writer). You choose it. I buy it and mail it. (Two for the first place winner and one for the second name random.org chooses). Contest is opened internationally. Contest ends midnight EST on Christmas Eve. (I will be in Florida).

Now for a quickie review of P-52's 47th book Ghost Town the latest Morganville Vampire book. It didn't catch my attention quite as well as they usually do. In fact, I was about 77 pages in before I was completely hooked. This is probably because these books usually end on a cliff hanger and I read the last one in the spring so whatever the cliffhanger was I don't recall and could also be partly because the book before this kind of felt like a filler to me.

Once it got started it was pretty good though. It kept me reading. Things with the confusion, allicance shifts, memory loss, and machine seemed to feel too familiar though. It's starting to get repetitive.

Now for Etc. What did I do on my blogcation? Not much of the editing I was supposed to! I think I kind of had some sort of a mental breakdown instead. Haha. No worries. I'm back to my usual bouncy self now. The editing will continue with the blogging and I'll be back to commenting this week too. So look for me to make my rounds. I'm out of my cave!!! Hear me roar. (Okay, that was just quirky, but I've been out of this for a while what do you exepct)?

Whisper Book 46

2010-11-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

"Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own." (Blurb from goodreads).

I like books with things going on outside the realm of possibility. I bought the book because of this line, "Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own." In those words, I found potential for romance, adventure, and a series of action packed events.

The problem is she doesn't understand her sister is missing until page 220 of a 280 page book. Everything that happens, happens in the last sixty pages and unravels rather quickly too. I didn't find the characters that realistic either. I don't like to give harsh reviews, but I can't say I would recommend this book.

Kiss of Death Book 45

2010-11-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

Kiss of Death takes the Glass house-mates out of Morganville. They're road tripping to Dallas for Michael's music. On the way they get into trouble in some one-horse town much like Morganville...The town even has vampires, vampires struggling wit the same disease Claire and Myrnin found a cure for in Morganville.

But these vamps aren't Morganville vamps. They're more out of control. I liked that there were vamps else where though. It raises questions of how many towns like Morganville could there be.

I enjoyed it more once they go to Dallas. I liked having them out of Morganville where things could be more optimistic. But I hated that they had to go back.

The Train Ride

2010-11-15T12:36:00.001-08:00

I gazed at the lush green mountainside through the little window, beautiful. I moved my head from the window to scan for a seat. I’d spent too long in my day dream. There were no seats to be found now.

As the train took off my body spiraled forward. I reached for the nearest pole, but there really wasn’t one within my grasp.

I felt a strong hand on my hip steadying me. I wanted to shriek but there was something familiar in the touch, something that told me the hairs on my arm weren’t standing up because I was in trouble.

“I’m sorry.” He said. He had a drawl. A little inflection from another part of the world called to me from the voice. I knew that place. Home. But we were so far from there. “I thought you were going to fall. You look like a girl I knew. She’s clumsy. I just didn’t want to see you hit the floor. I’ll move.”The drawl told me he was from my place but something else called to me in his voice, tender words more familiar than the hand still supporting my hip, though the man had said he would move.

“I—my—if—I.” I needed to tell him something but I couldn’t remember what. It left me. I turned my head to look back at the person standing behind me. My throat locked. I could be a child again. My breath caught. Now I could be a teen ager again. Vertigo slipped over me not without his notice and he slipped another arm around me to keep me off the floor.

“Katie? You know you don’t stand up on trains.” He made no effort to let go of me. “What are you doing here?” He asked as he shuffled us forward to a shiny silver pole.

“I.” I looked up at him again. My eyes spoke what my mouth couldn’t. They must have because he seemed to understand. He nodded once hard. His eyes wild like he tried to keep from passing out while trying to say something important the same something important I tried to spit out yet couldn’t remember, like he battled the same raw emotion I fought now. Like he knew we couldn’t be here, not together, but we could both breathe a sigh of relief because after all those years, we were here, together.

I grasped the pole. He threw his arms protectively around me and the pole. He wouldn’t let me fall. I didn’t need the pole because the boy that used to take care of me would compensate my weight with every jostle of the train.

The train stopped abruptly. My body tilted forward but not very far and only for less than a second before arms around my waist steadied me.

“You’re okay.” He whispered.

A couple of seats became available as two women exited the train. He towed me to them, helping me sit before taking the seat beside me.

We sat side by side, no longer touching now that there was nothing to protect me from, not even a dirty floor. But his body angled in my direction. He leaned just a little too close to me, just close enough that I could smell and feel a mint breath on me. I closed my eyes as I inhaled, letting it tickle my body the way it once had. I couldn’t keep that breath in me forever. I had to exhale and when I did it hurt like I was letting go a second time.

I felt the tears bubble around my eyes, but I didn’t cry, just a little leaky fluid in my bottom lashes. I leaned closer to him now. “Brendan.” I whispered.

“I know.” He said softly.

I brought my hand up to rest on his cheek watching in a serene contentment as he closed his eyes and sighed. I watched him surrender to what we knew to be true.

He made no effort to move my hand. Instead he sighed my name, “Katie.”

I let my lips turn up in a peaceful smile. He placed his hand over mine, running his fingers over my skin. I lost myself to bliss.

“What’s—that’s--.” He pulled my hand off his cheek and stretched it forward with his. “You’re married.” He said it like an accusation but he couldn’t keep the pain out of his voice.

I closed my eyes and fell further into the seat. The important thing I tried to tell him before we were back in our old roles again. The words I couldn’t get out, the thing I’d forgotten. I loved someone else the way I loved him now. Someone who would never do the things he did. Someone who loved me as much as he loved me, but who took care of that love and my trust like he never did. Someone who was my life now.

A daunting realization, I loved them both. One made my present and would be my future and as painful as it was to let my mind wrap around the other was only my past. The thing about past is it has to turn to ash for the present to be fruitful.

It didn’t change the fact that the man beside me still loved me. I heard it in his words and I felt it in his touch.

“Katie?” He whispered begging me to say it wasn’t true.

I choked past the lump in my throat through the tears in my eyes and nodded. “I’m married. I shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s okay.” He whispered. "You can touch my face. Nothing will happen. You’ll get off the train. Life has already gone on but we can have this moment.”

Something told me it wasn’t okay like touching his face was as much as acting on the forbidden love. I did it anyway. But this time as he slowly brought his hand up to cover my own I saw a shining piece of gold flickering light off his hand.

“You’re married.” I said.

Realization hit his eyes. He loved me. He just loved her too. He nodded as I watched his pain reflect my own. He would have to hurt one of us too.

“But we can have this moment.” I repeated his words.

“We have to, because I’m not strong enough not to.”

I let go of the tears. I watched his eyes water as he traced my tears with his finger. “Don’t do that. He has to be better than me. I know what I did.”

I fought past the lump in my throat again because I had to speak. “I—I hope she’s great—beautiful and she makes you pancakes. I love you, Brendan.”

He fought tears now. “You cook for him.” He said feigning an amused smile.

I looked at him.

“I hope she makes you pancakes. You cook for him.”

“I would have cooked for you.”

“I know. He—he takes care of you? He’s good to you?”

“So good. Deserves better than a girl clinging to her past on a train.”

I watched a bulge in his throat appear and disappear. “He can’t do better than my girl. Even if she’s evil enough to make a man cry on a train. Do you know how that looks?” He whispered.

I smiled. “It’s Europe. They probably won’t think anything.”

But I let my head drop to his shoulder now and didn’t fight when he tried to hold me while I—we cried.

Words carrying the same drawl as his rang from a feminine voice now. “Katie. You’ve gotta get out of here. Are you crazy? A reporter saw you. Jason thinks—he thinks.” She didn’t have to finish the sentence for me to know what my husband thought—that I betrayed him—that I didn’t love him. But I did and now my heart filled with a new pain.

The arms around me slid away for me to go do what I had to do. But he stood as I walked with Carrie closer to the door.

I looked back at him. He looked into me. This thing between us real and raging.

“Last kiss?”

“Jason.”

“You’re in trouble anyhow, might as well make it worth it.”

I crashed into his chest and enjoyed every second of his hand on my chin tilting my head back, his lips crashing to mine his tongue tracing my mouth, Brendan devouring me. I pulled away.

“I love you. Take care of your wife. Be good to her. Don’t do this again, and please,” and now the tears flowed again, “don’t forget me.”

“I can’t I’ve tried. Katie, if he ever hurts you I’ll kill him. But I know he’s a good man because it’s impossible to look into his wife’s eyes and not know that with faith like that in the world you have to be a good man.”

Carrie and I got off the train and took a cab to where my husband waited. Too my surprise, he wasn’t angry. “I love you.” He said.

“I love you too. I’m sorry.”

He wiped a tear from my eye. “Do you mean that? I mean that you love me.”

“More than anything.”

He nodded. “You don’t have to be sorry. I knew you had a past. I’m not the first man you’ve ever loved and I can deal with that. Don’t leave me though, please.” A new set of eyes begged for my affection now. The set of eyes that I owed everything to and had promised forever.

“I—I didn’t even think about it. But I kissed him goodbye, umm…literally.” Now I sobbed with guilt.

A new set of arms were around me comforting me. “Shh—does he kiss better than me?” I think it was supposed to be a joke.

I laughed through tears, “Different?—he’s jealous that I cook for you.”

“He’s jealous that I got the girl. But I love her and I take care of her. I won’t give her up without a fight.”

“I’m—I’m not going anywhere.”

He was mature enough to understand everything. That the feelings I still had for the boy I grew up with didn’t take away from the way I loved him. That the way he took care of our love and my trust meant more than fifteen minute train rides even if they were bitter sweet. That I loved him, he was my life. I would never do anything to damage our life together.

I can’t say Brendan never crossed my mind again, or that I didn’t have moments where I hoped his wife wasn’t as pretty as me. But I can tell you we never saw each other again because he was in the past where he belonged.

Bullying and My Word for the Nerds

2010-11-14T03:20:00.000-08:00

It's been about a month, but not too long ago there passed a week in which several teens killed themselves as a result of bullying.

I've talked about my purple hair and lack of coordination and alluded to the fact that I was made fun of by pretty much the whole town, including adults. Obviously, I didn't kill myself. In fact, my goal in life became to get out ASAP and go back cooler than them. I don't really know that I accomplished that last part but I do know that I was far more motivated in life and as a result better off now than an English major could reasonably expect to be because of said goal. What I'm trying to say is I understood the pain of being ostracized. Purple hair or not, shouldn't I be left alone to thrive in all my freakishness? Isn't that what this "free country" is about? What I didn't understand was why a teen (or anyone--let's face it acceptance still matters to most adults) would take their life over it.

P-52 has a number of young followers still in school, one of which I've become particular attached to because she emails me/messages me quite often. I asked her what she thought about it like why do people let the actions of other people affect their world so much they would take their own life. We went around in circles neither of us coming up with an answer.

This week something happened that made me remember one particularly traumatic incident. Traumatic in part because, at the time the person who said it (we shall call this person X) was the one person in the world I wished hadn't said it. While X said their piece, the kids in the courtyard noticed the confrontation and circled around X, X's three friends, myself and my one friend. When X finished this tirade he/she then went around the circle that now encompassed us and asked every member of it if they hated me. Most people said yes. Others just laughed. At the end of the game, two people said no. One defended me. In fairness, X had just cause to find me rather annoying. I was fourteen too. But I didn't deserve that. Annoying maybe, weird yes, mean very seldom and only with cause.

I cried for a few days, not like gut wrenching sobs, though I did that for a while too. Mostly just tearing eyes, but even at school. I thought of transferring schools but couldn't convince my parents. (I suppose that's probably for the best. There were no good private schools and no magnet schools so it was the town school or the county school. I would have been weird either way). A couple of days later, another girl told X she was angry at X for making her friend cry. When X realized who the friend was, X just shot B a go to hell look and left it at that.

If I'd killed myself you wouldn't have read about X today and either known that you should not do this to anyone ever because it's inhumane, or that if someone does this to you, you can survive. But I didn't. So why are we talking about X? What's the point in reliving something that happened twelve years ago? Well, looking back on it now--in some ways reliving it now--I remember the pain. I didn't kill myself but I wanted to die. I'm glad I persevered. I have my 58 blog followers, a few unpublished manuscripts, a husband who adores me, and few but GOOD friends.

I need to say I'm not angry with X. I understand X was fourteen and had some things going on. I think X has probably built a decent life that doesn't involve publicly humiliating anyone at this point. I don't think I was X's only target but I was one of the few. X was a fairly nice person where most people were concerned so I think we can assume as an adult X is a decent person. But I am angry that it still crosses my mind so vividly that I'm blogging about it at 5 am because when it reappeared two days ago, it took root and refused to go away. I think the fact that someone like that still has enough power over my life twelve years later to inspire impromptu blog entries in a month I've vowed not to blog to write in some ways resolves the question my young follower and I tried to determine. How could the actions of someone affect you so badly you would take your own life? Because it does. It erodes any self esteem you have and leaves you questioning your own worth. But taking your life in response to a person that needs lessons on how to be human is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

The truth is no one cares about the Homecoming Queen after high school. Time changes everything. Life goes on and jocks age like the rest of us, muscles turning to fat. The cool kids struggle like everyone else, but I think in life (which lasts far longer than high school) nerds/dorks/geeks have the advantage. See, we're used to the struggle. We know what it is to see the turned up noses and rolling eyes. We will walk through it. We will persevere.

So here is MY WORD FOR THE NERDS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO GETS BULLIED: ENDURE. That's right. Endure. Let the so-called cool kids make fun of you because of your purple hair, ripped up jeans, the neck jewelry you wear as a head piece, your star wars collection. Whatever it is that has you picked on, embrace it. Be the best you, you can be. Because you are the only you there will ever be and you hold a special place in the cosmic design of the universe. You have a role to play that ONLY you can play. If the cool kids make fun of you, who cares? It's very likely that as a nerd, in ten years you will drive a cooler car than the cool kids. You will one day be the cool kid and when you are you will be kind to the cool kid that used to taunt you, because you know what it is to be "other."

Beth Fred is glad she made it through middle school, junior high, and the bit of high school she was present for. Emil Fred says the joke is on X.

Carpe Corpus 43/Fade Out 44

2010-11-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

Carpe Corpus is another of my favorites in this series. Partly because I liked Lord of Misrule so much and it leads into this one. The romance between Shane and Claire is still getting stronger but Michael and Eve start having some problems. (I think this is where their problems start). The four friends and the town of Morganville start trying to take their town back from Bishop.

My favorite thing about this book is something that some other reviewers seemed not to like, but I love Ada who is Myrnin's(who has been one of my favorite characters since his introduction to the series) computer ghost assistant (and I think they were probably in love or at least involved at one point). After draining her Myrnin chose to imprison Ada into his a computer that runs the town of Morganville to keep her from being completely lost. But Ada gets a little too powerful and steps out of the box! I found that amazingly creative. There are hardships and struggles but as this is a series you know the show goes on.

Fade Out brings back time for honesty. This one was not a favorite. Shane's crazy ex-girlfriend is the new character in this one. She's a crazy ex. There isn't much more to say. I guess it might be worth mentioning that she bugs the Glass house to make sex videos.

Honestly, I didn't find much of a point in that whole part of the plot. But it connected to a media project she was working on about the "situation" in Morganville. There were further vamp/human issues and Micheal and Eve's relationship becomes a bit more out of wack. Overall, it felt like a filler.

Feast of Fools Book 41/ Lord of Misrule Book 42

2010-11-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Feast of Fools balances the battle of to keep from being food for the walking dead with something we all struggle with--parents. I really love this one actually because it isn't just that Claire's parents have randomly shown up, bought a house and try to make her move home even though she has been living independently. Amelie's (the vamp matriarchof Morganville) evil father has also shown up which can and does only lead to disaster.

Our four friends step up and brave it out with emotional battles on the horizon as well as the run not to be lunch meat. As always the series ends with a cliffhanger which progresses directly into ....

Lord of Misrule which is a vampire war and everyone must choose a side. There are bad and worse among the vampires but the tension is this one is more built up than in many of the previous books. As the characters work their way through alleys and into/out of chaotic situations I found myself on the edge of the seat with this one so to speak. It's one of my favorites of the series.

Of course, it seems these books will never end any other way--it too closes on a cliff hanger...

Guilty Pleasure: An Ode to the Morganville Vampires

2010-11-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

At the onset of this P-52, having read through an insatiable appetite for paranormal romances, with a particular fondness of vampires, especially sparkley ones. Having blown through all my paranormals I hit a book store and picked up Glass Houses and The Dead Girls Dance in one volume. I read Glass Houses was not impressed and gave a rather harsh review of it.

I had no intentions of reading The Dead Girls Dance (Book 39) even though I already owned it. Glass Houses left that kind of impression on me. Then one month, I got broke--it happens. I was out of books and my library orders were slow to arrive. I gave in and picked up The Dead Girls Dance which I read in one sitting. ;)

The Dead Girls Dance was still a little slow for me, but the pace had really started to pick up. The romance picked up. (That's what I'm after). And things started tying together to lay a good foundation and make sense. It ended with a cliff hanger. It was a lot better than Glass Houses.

I had no choice. I had to read Midnight Alley (Book 40). And so I did, again in one sitting. This one really picked up. The vampires became darker. The romance ran deeper. Claire Danvers, the MC, grew stronger. Honestly, all of the characters started showing sings of change.
New characters were introduced too. Some of which I absolutely love. New concepts were laid and the story really began to get intriguing.

So why haven't I reviewed the books sooner? Haha. Mainly, because I was embarrassed of my harsh review of Glass Houses, which I stand by. If I hadn't got broke that month I would have never read The Dead Girls Dance. It would have been better if Glass Houses and The Dead Girls Dance had been combined and woven into one book--they're the same story. Rather than being sold as two separate books, or marketed as two books in one volume. But as I find myself anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ghostown, it seems I owe Rachel Caine some positive reviews. I've loved the rest of the series, just not the first book. So I've declared this week Morganville Vampires Week.

Random Ranting, Disclaimer, Contest Winner, Shout Out

2010-11-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Ranting: Evelyn Marie Hill you are making me insane. You make me want to vommit. You are so dark. I wish you could just get over stuff already. Writing you is like having a root canal with no novacaine. In short, you annoy me. I will be so damn happy when you get on that plane I think I will jump for joy. Seriously, in a way it will be like I am getting on the plane myself! You don't even know. Why can't you be more like Joe easy and carefree? Really, Evey? You are making me insane. This book is never going to end and you are bring me down with you! You are that dark. Then again, I dont see how you can live through some of the stuff you've lived through and not be dark so maybe it's okay that you make me wanna die!!!!! OR SCREAM!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: I have created several posts of straight book reviews for books I read way back in the spring so they may not be as crispy as usual. I will be using these until they're depleted. After that you can expect sparse posts between now and December because editing one book and writing another has me SWAMPED. I feel like I'm letting down my CP at this point because I don't even have time to read. It's sad, really. I apologize to each and every one of you. I will not be avaialbe to comment very often for a while and I won't even be really posting. But I will come back. I promise. Hopefully you will even miss me. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me.

And the proud owner of The Beautiful Darkness is Maggie. Sorry, Maggie couldn't find a link.

How To Be Popular Book 38

2010-10-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

Yep! 38 book reviews into my project and a passion for YA and this is my first Cabot book. It was a good one.

Stephanie Landry is a social pariah in high school and desperately wants to be popular. Partly because she's just tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes and partly because she is obsessed with a popular guy and need to be popular so he'll notice her. She finds a book in her best friend's grandmother's attic and thinks it's her ticket to popularity. With her new tool, she sets out on a mission.

The thing is Steph's book makes it seem like popular people are nice, respectful people and that's what it takes to be popular. She finds out that's not always the case. Although, she makes a comment that using those tips would make you popular. I think anyone who has ever been to high school could tell you that isn't always true.

I really liked the book. It's a light read. I even laughed out loud a couple of times. I loved the voice and found most of the characters easy to relate to, because you've either been one of these characters or you've known them. The one thing I didn't like was that I was pretty sure how would end from the beginning. But even that didn't bother me because getting to the end was a fun ride.

Wed & Writing: Falls

2010-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

I had a severe case of pneumonia as a small child. It caused a bit of inner ear damage, which as you probably know contributes to your sense of equilibrium. The damage contributed greatly to mine. However, I grew up in the sticks, literally. I periodically had purple hair and sometimes wore a gold necklace cascading onto my forehead from a Pebbles ponytail on top of my head. (I thought it was cute. In the sticks I was labeled a problem child in need of attention--mind you I never actually got in trouble--not only by the grown ups but my peers). So since I wanted attention and couldn't walk in a straight line, you can a) imagine my social standing b) understand that every time I fell on my face (which due to the middle ear damage was more than once) people accused me of purposely falling for attention. (People are great in small towns, what can I say).

But we don't care, because I graduated early and blew that town. Fortunately, I did this right after the blue braces and several pounds came off. I was glamorous. (It only lasted for a year or two but hey, it happened to be the year I started college). This was a new start. No one knew I had purple hair or wore a necklace on my ponytail. I wouldn't even need purple hair to make people look at me. This was my one year to be glamorous. Who cares if I was a reject in hs I was going to be cool in college. I set off to be cool, an "it" girl.

It was the first day of school, I had ballet on one side of campus (right behind Greek Row) and then one hour for lunch on the other opposite side of campus before algebra, every English majors favorite subject. I could have skipped lunch. I wouldn't have minded, but I was supposed to meet my roommate and her friends. (Being that I was six years younger than most of them, should have been in high school and would graduate sooner than a lot of them, they already hated me). I seriously didn't need to add to it. I must be punctual! I ran from the ballet studio down Greek Row. I'm not sure what happened, but me and my curls did a cartwheel through the air and landed on the concrete, with ripped jeans and bleeding where a frat boy scraped me off the ground and asked me if I could walk. (At least, he didn't accuse me of wanting attention). First day of school, needless to say social standing experienced no change.

Now I'm a grown up. My one to two years of gloriousness has long since passed. I have dealt with this. I'm almost comfortable in my own skin. I don't need acceptance (except on days when I do). Friday I walked from the building that I work in to another building owned by the job and I'm not sure how it happened. But I found myself laying on my stomach with a face full of concrete, recyclable to go coffee cup shattered just out of my reach. As I'm laying there, inching my mouth away from the cement I have two thoughts. 1) Does this ever quit happening? Seriously. 2)This is like writing. You fall. You get up again. You keep falling and you keep getting up again. It's a continual process. How many times must you eat a face full of concrete before you have a manuscript that struts its grace? I seriously don't know, but I hope it happens before my social standing changes! I think the more important question is do you have what it takes to walk back to the dorm in the ripped jeans and do it all again tomorrow. The thing about a less than balanced equilibrium is you develop a thick skin. I'll get up again when I fall. What about you?

Beautiful Darkness Book 37

2010-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

First a reminder you can win an autographed copy of Beautiful Darkness here.

If you're read Beautiful Creatures you know it had a rather open ending, and you probably like me, were counting down the days to the release of Beautiful Darkness. The sequel totally lived up to the expectations set by the first book in this series. The thing I love about these books is that while the romance is very stong, it's not the whole book. There is so much more going on, the struggles of good and evil and the both protagonists' struggle to find their identity. Identity--another thing I love about these books. Very often, in a series you have one book with a very strong theme and the next either has a completely different theme or no theme at all. Beautiful Creatures had a strong theme of identity mostly shown through Lena's struggle to claim herself. Beautiful Darkness continues that theme mostly through Ethan's struggle to determine where he fits in a universe where he's more or less rejected by and rejects the mortals and cannot be supernatural, but doesn't abandon Lena's need to claim herself.

I've said more than once that if Twilight is a love story with vampires, The Caster Chronicles is a magic story with love. That's one thing I absolutely love about this series. The romance is up to par with paranormal romances but the magic is so strongly weaven in that I think it could appeal to others, like my husband, as well. I've also enjoyed that Beautiful Darkness was from Ethan's perspective. I know the first one was as well, but that didn't matter to me. Lena isn't really a girly girl and it was a new relationship. I don't think either perspective would have changed the story that much. But this book was more about the struggles of maintaing a relationship and the feelings you experience when you lose someone you love. I think from a girl's perspective it would have been annoying, sorry. (I will own up to my political incorrectness). Finally, my last brag for this book is that I do not think it was a filler. The story unfolded, not the way I expected it to, but was an authentic story. There was a need for a sequel the way the first one ended which supported the authenticity.

What I didn't like--the end. Yep, I said it. The book wasn't a filler the end sets up a filler. Lena's claimed herself, but messed up the order of things setting up one sequel. This was skillfully tied in and did not bother me. The claiming moon was called out of season and with the choice she made, there is still the need for a sequel. But some other things happened in the last ten pages that I felt was really just to set up a sequel and served no other purpose. It makes me think the third book might be a filler. Of course, with the way this one ended I'll have to read it anyhow.

Beautiful Darkness & Halloween Goodies

2010-10-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have a very special Halloween treat for someone, an autographed copy of Beautiful Darkness. 2 entries for old followers, 1 entry for new followers, 1 entry for fb, twitter, chrome, myspace, (though you can do all of these multiple days and earn a new entry each new day) 2 entries for sidebar, blogroll, and blog shout-outs. The autographed book comes with some other goodies I snagged from the book event, like a keychain and pin. Contest ends on Halloween night!

And now I leave you with goody photos and pics of the signing:

Me with Anastacia Hopcus

Kami and Margie being interviewed by Anastacia

Wednesday & Writing: What Writing Looks Like

2010-10-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Usually when I write it looks like me typing away on the pearly pink keys of my mini. This week writing has looked like a lot of things including but not limited to the following:

And like:
me: "I'm a scalar. Ask me what a scalar is."
Jennifer: "What's a scalar?"
me: "An object with mass but no direction. I'm a scalar, lots of mass but not much direction."
Jennifer: "It sounds like a dinosaur or some kind of reptile."

...which led to a whole lot of talk that my husband had to get involved in about scalars versus objects at rest. If a scalar were an object at rest, I would not be a scalar but since the house scientist says it's not I can still be a scalar.

Which led to my attempting to understand a scalar.
Jennifer: "If a car is going 70 mph down the highway and hits a brickwall"
me: "the driver dies?"
Jennifer: "Yes, but the speed is a scalar."

But I think I enjoy it when writing looks like this. I even think Emil's enjoying writing looking like this. And I'm starting to get attached to my new manuscript for the first time. So what weird forms has writing taken for you?

Two for Tuesday

2010-10-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

1. I met Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, and Anastacia Hopcus Friday night. It was a lot of fun, a blast. Something about meeting successful people gives me the drive to be successful. I got some photos I wanted to post all about the event today. But being married to a genius comes at a price. You see I'm writing to you from a comp that I believe was probably originally constructed in the 90's. As you can see it's still kicking. But not without flaws. Flaws a normal person would have kicked it to the curb for a long time ago. Flaws my nerdy husband finds endearing and rather than kicking it to the curb he just uses the opportunity to implore creativity. His creativity means for my pc to function it needs more extensions than an octopus. I know what you're thinking--Beth, what does any of this have to do with the Beautiful Darkness Tour. Well, one such extension is a black rectangular box with lots of slots for different cards. One such slot a perfect fit for my memory card. The problem is said extension seems to be MIA. Therefore, I can not post the pics. So I guess, all of our writing celebs must wait until a later date because let's face it: a picture is worth 1000 words.
2. Let's talk winners. (Something you're far more interested in, I'm sure). The winner of the hardback set of The Hunger Games is Jenn Draiker and the winner of Kiss of Death is Reading Lassie. (Sorry, Lassie I couldn't get the link to work). Please shoot me an email to bethfred08@gmail.com so I can get your books to you.
This is really three but who cares. I have a special contest coming up which I will post as soon as I spot the rectangular box with lots of slots. I think you need to see this one to get the real effect. ;)

5 things....

2010-10-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

1. A desperate plea--if you haven't already done so and you want to be my bff pls go to vote for Phantom Fires. I have been pushed out of the top ten :(.
2. Reminder the contest is still open till midnight CST today. The prize is a hardback set of The Hunger Games with a runner up receiving Kiss of Death.
3. Lots of book events going on in A-town this weekend so I'm one incredibly busy with blogger...and since I just left the day job at the moment, one incredibly busy blogger w/ bad hair.
4. If you're still reading (which after that last comment u prolly are not, but if you are) there are Halloween treats to come so check me regularly ;). In fact, those of who have entered a previous contest on P-52 will especially love the Halloween Goody Contest I will be bringing you shortly.
5. If #4 is going to matter, I must get to my book event.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!! THANKS FOR READING!!!!

Wednesday and Writing: What kind of writer are you?

2010-10-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

What kind of writer are you? That question was asked on many blogs this summer, and it always seemed to come down to two answers: character writer or a plot writer. Character writers get a character in their head which compels them to write. Plot writers get a plot, a storyline if you will, in their head and create characters to play out the story.

I--I'm neither. That really bothered me, especially this summer. Because I've been writing less than a year. Lots of people in the blogosphere have been writing much longer than me. They know these things. I felt that if I were neither a character writer or a plot writer, maybe it meant I shouldn't be a writer.

I tend to be stubborn, so I just kept going, refusing to accept that. I'm glad I did. I figured it out. I'm a premise writer. I dreamed of a fire annihilating a man, and Phantom Fires came to be. I saw a girl meet the brother she didn't know she had and Chance Encounters was born.

When I started Phantom Fires I had no idea who the characters were. Though, I figured out what kind of people they were and who they symbolized for me as I watched them interact. I didn't know where the story would go. I kind of made it up, or watched it as I went along. It was fun that way. I figured things out about the time the reader will. The premise served as my muse.

Chance Encounters was a similar story. It's a bit more personal so I had a good idea who most of the characters were, but I didn't know them all. And I wasn't exactly sure how the story would come together. I'm only about 20,000 words into it. I think that means I haven't figured it all out yet. (In fact, I know it does). But it will come together. Because for me the concept makes the story.

Now I'm asking you. What kind of writer are you? Don't box yourself in. If you can only write while skydiving you're probably a skydiver writing. Most of us have something that triggers the process. I'm just interested in hearing what those somethings are. So what kind of writer are you?

The Summer of My German Soldier Book 36

2010-10-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know. Maybe, I'm crazy. Maybe, I wouldn't know a good book if it slapped me in the face. Maybe, I should consider another profession. Because I have to say I was just a little disappointed in this book. Yet my little paperback is a 30th anniversary edition so obviously someone liked it!

It's the story of a Jewish girl helping a German POW escape officials after breaking out of a US war camp (yep, we had them too) in Arkansas. She's being held by some blonde guy on the cover. It's so adorable, really. (Except the male lead wasn't blonde and barely there so I've no clue what the blonde dude on the cover was about). She risked everything to help him find freedom. I bought a book expecting to find first love and real passion. Instead, I got abusive parents, racism, and anti-semitism.I got a government that prosecutes 12 year old girls for feeding the hungry and kills 22 year old med students for being drafted into the German military. I got a book bogged down with details in which nothing, NOTHING happened the way I wanted it to.

Now I have to be fair. It was heartrending. I'd be lying if I didn't say that. I felt bad for the POW because he didn't even agree with Hitler. I felt sorry for the girl because her parents were absolutely horrible. But seriously, had I realized all this I wouldn't have bought the book!

Climbing the Stairs Book 35/Contest Clarification

2010-10-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

First of all, I think I may have left some things out of the contest post. I’m going to post them here for everyone to see and then I’ll leave a comment on my contest post as well. Contest is open till midnight CST on Oct. 15. It is also opened internationally (provided you can tell me how to mail these books to you)!
Now on to Climbing the Stairs. As the future parent of half Indian children I have to say I absolutely loved this book. It will definitely go into a box of things to be saved for the ELF (Emily Lace or Edward Laurent Fred). But I think even without my connection to the Indian culture I would have adored this book anyhow.

For the most part it was accurate in its depiction of Indian culture (though it depicted India in 1941 not today). Many things have stayed the same. The one major flaw I saw in this depiction of a Tamilian (South Indian) Brahmin (Hindu faith’s educated caste) family was that they had a dog. Today, in India people don’t keep pets and Brahmin still believe they are untouchable. In 1941 there is no way they would have had a dog. But this book was intended for an American YA audience and I think most people wouldn’t have picked up on that. I did, but I can ignore because she uses the dog to set up metaphors for the treatment of women in pre-WWII India throughout the book.

It’s a historical fiction with a great deal of accuracy. It’s an issue book that stays interesting as it explores the treatment of women, the impoverished and really even the disabled. Though what I really loved, was the romance. The back of the book described it as a fairytale with a Cinderella (Vidya) who was unable to see it when her Prince Charming tried to rescue her. So I would have loved for the romance to come in earlier, but when it did it was strong. The thing that made it interesting was that the author was able to paint the romance so well and the characters couldn’t touch! It was a very interesting choice. It was a necessary choice. Even today in South India public displays of affection are tabu. Still, it was an interesting choice. Having a romance with characters that can’t hold hands, a Prince Charming who can’t hold Cinderella while she cries. This has me questioning all kinds of things. As a writer do I rely too heavily on physical touches to display emotion? Does my culture rely too heavily on contact to display love?

In fairness, I have to say the writing seemed to be missing something. There were elements that could have been stronger, still it’s a great book to read.

Contest To Help me Get 50 Followers & Total Randomness

2010-10-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys I appreciate all the comment love and new followers but this contest ended on the 15th and the winner has already been announced. However, I'm running a new contest if you want to check that one out. It ends Halloween night and is for an autographed copy of Beautiful Darkness.

Okay, let's start with randomness. I need help (in more ways than one)! I put a query up for my manuscript Phantom Fires and it needs votes, so if you have time and you like my letter could you please go to http://www.wizehive.com/voting/yalitchat and give Phantom Fires a thumb up.

More randomness, I saw a post on Nathan's about the Prince Charming myth. Still convinced that Prince Charming is not a myth and I married him, I asked my husband:
"Do you fantasize about rescuing me?"
Emil: "Yeah."
Me: "Really?"
Emil: "Huh?'
Me: "Do you fantasize about rescuing me?"
Emil: "You're not in trouble."
Then I start trying to tell him why I asked and before I can finish the sentence he says, "Shut-up. I'm trying to do something."
....Maybe Prince Charming is a myth! LOL.

AND NOW FOR THE FUN PART!!! I'm giving away a hardback set of The Hunger Games and Kiss of Death (the latest Morganville Vampire). Leave me a comment on this post for 1 entry, tweet it for 1 entry, fb it for 1 entry, blog it 1entry, buzz it 1 entry, blog roll me for 2 entries. And of course followers get 1 entry. You can post on social networks multiple times for multiple entries. Please tally your points in the comment section of this post. I'll use random.org to determine winners. The first name chosen will receive the The Hunger Games Trilogy and the second name will receive Kiss of Death.

Much thanks in advance!!!

Wednesday & Writing: The Fate of the Paranormal Romance in the Market Place

2010-09-29T11:37:00.001-07:00

It’s been a few weeks but for a while, it seemed that every time you went online you couldn’t help but see some new article or blog post about how saturated the market place is with paranormal romance right now. There were posts advising writers how to overcome the certain doom their YA paranormal romance would face. There were posts stating there was no way to overcome the certain doom a paranormal romance ms would face. For those of us who write paranormal romance it was demoralizing.

I must admit I let all this get to me for a day or two. Phantom Fires is a paranormal romance. There isn’t much of another way to sell it, urban fantasy maybe, but then it’s an urban fantasy/romance. I spent four months writing it and so for another two revising it and I’m not done. The thought that someone might scan the words paranormal romance and toss it without reading sent heartbreaking shakes through my body.

But then I thought about it. Ann Rice sold paranormal romances long before Edward Cullen was dreamed up somewhere in the dessert. LJ Smith has pretty much made her living off of paranormal romances. I think these posts are right that there are probably some trend followers out there writing paranormal romance right now. The market is inundated. But for those of who love paranormal romance and write what we love this isn’t a problem. At the end of the day a good book is still a good book. If the paranormal romance wave is a trend (and I hope not), it will come back. In the meantime, while high fantasies, or sci-fis might consume the market place for a while, there will still be some nerdy little girl curled up on her bed drooling over the latest vampire book. She deserves a good book—the best story we can offer. In the midst of Twilight mania, it might be harder to get our paranormal romances noticed. But either way, the paranormal romance isn’t off to a certain doom. Our genre will still be here tomorrow. Maybe with less fans, but those remaining will be dedicated ;).

Skinny Book 34

2010-09-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ibi Kaslik's Skinny is an insightful look at anorexia, a problem that plagues many young people. It's gritty in it's life like view of the disorder.

I found the alternating narrators refreshing. One was the fourteen year old, 8th grader Holley and the other was the Med student older sister Giselle or G. I liked having a young adult in young adult literature for as far as I know the first time ever. The alternating narrators really showed a lot about the eating disorder though, for instance how it affects family members. It also gives us an opportunity to get away from G, the anorexic and remember she is choosing not to eat. Even during the times she thinks she cant control it. The two narrators also had more distinct voices than what has passed for separate voices recently in the world of YA

There is a subplot of a dysfunctional family and parents with dirty secrets. It's another real world look at life. The whole thing is written beautifully well. There is one scene that I think is inappropriate for YA, but more than that I just didnt understand why it was there. It didn't add anything to the story, so in my opinion it should have been cut.

Would I recommend this book? Well, that depends. If you like artistic books about issues, it's intriguing and really well written. If you're looking for a page turner, look elsewhere.

Wednesday & Writing: What I Love About Writing

2010-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve said before when I started Project 52, I was a boring person. That’s probably not true, as I say that I have flashbacks of gold togas and green lipstick around my eyes. But my life was boring, that is completely true.

This blog went a long way towards sucking all of the boredom out of my life. It also helped to develop my writing, which was the reason I started this in the first place. As my writing developed, I realized what I love about it.

It’s not the writing words that paint a picture, though I do enjoy that. It’s not even telling a story that otherwise would remain untold. I enjoy that too. Writing makes me a well rounded person. That’s what I love about it. Phantom Fires was about a ballerina. I’m 26 years old and hadn’t danced since high school. I took a dance class. I felt like I had to write about a dancer. Now I’m writing about a high school girl struggling with physics. And I don’t remember anything about it! I have no choice I must learn Physics. It’s the only way. Should Phantom Fires ever sell the sequels will involve fighting demons. I will take a karate or street fighting class. I will have to. I seriously have no clue how to take down the annoying girl across the street, much less a band of demons.

I love writing because as I develop that talent, I develop! What more could you ask? What do you love about writing?

unedited: Life As A Princess

2010-09-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

unedited: Life As A Princess: "Happy Wednesday! So last week I told you I was giving away a signed copy of Sophie Jordan's Firelight! Well today I chose the winner!!! Tha..."

The Bookshelf Muse: 1000 Followers Contest & Mentorship Opportunity!

2010-09-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Bookshelf Muse: 1000 Followers Contest & Mentorship Opportunity!: "1000 followers. Really there's only one thing to say when something like this happens: THANK YOU. You are more awesome than baby seals and P..."

The Bookshelf Muse: 1000 Followers Contest & Mentorship Opportunity!

2010-09-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Shadow Hills Book 33

2010-09-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

Shadow Hills, Anastacia Hopcus’ debut novel is intriguing to say the least. Fifteen year old, Persephone (Phe) heads off to a boarding school in Massachusetts in hopes of finding answers about her sister’s death.

A variety of strange events start to possibly shed some light on what happened to her sister, Athena but raise a million new questions in the process. These events lead Phe on a journey that doesn’t really lead to definite answers, but does take her down a path that allows her to deal with her grief, be able to connect with people again, and find love in a hot guy named Zach.

Hopcus does a brilliant job of creating suspense in this work that gets a bit darker than most paranormal romances, even scary in places. The plot is great with twists and turns the whole way. However, I felt some of the characters could have been better developed, especially Zach. He didn’t feel real to me. I didn’t even get a clear mental picture of him and he was the male protagonist! I also thought the dialogue felt stilted in places and that the author sometimes gave too much detail in places it wasn’t really required.

The plot was great, the premise brilliant. (There is much more to it than a girl going to find answers about her sister’s death and the supernatural elements aren’t the ones that you see over and over in this genre). I really liked this book, to love it some of the technical issues would have to be stronger, for me. Remembering this is debut, I think we can expect great things from Hopcus in the future.
P.s. –I researched but found no information on a sequel.

Elizabeth Kolodziej Interview

2010-09-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Today I have an interview with Elizabeth Kolodziej, author of Vampyre Kisses. I was hoping to post a review with it, but my copy has yet to arrive. But from what I've seen it promises to be a great read.

1) Tell us about Vampyre Kisses. What's it about?

Vampyre Kisses is about a young woman named Faith who meets a 400 year old Irish vampire named Trent. Trent sees something in Faith and eventually they both find out that she is a witch. Faith must embrace this a begin her training to learn about her family heritage. But, soon important gems go missing from the werewolf royalty and vampire master. Werewolves and vampires must work together for the first time and it won’t be easy. Faith becomes involved and it comes to a matter of gaining enough power in time to help her friends and find the gems.

2) Who or what is your greatest inspiration in writing?

What inspires my mind to start developing ideas is reading other books, fantasizing while listen to music, and talking my ideas out with a good friend of mine. When I read other books in my genre it helps me to see what else is out there and what other people have done. I think this helps me to try and be unique along with sprucing up my imagination. Also, being able to talk out ideas with another writing friend really helps cause you can bounce ideas off them and see what they think.

3) Do you specifically write YA or are you open to other genres as well? Why or why not?

I do not write specifically for anything. I write what I like and what I have an idea for. I think putting yourself in one category would be stifling to an author’s writing in most ways. The reason why people write specifically for one genre might be because it is the genre they like though. For now I write YA but in my later years I might write mystery. Who’s to say?

4) Do you have any suggestions for unpublished writers trying to get published?

Do not ever stop believing in your writing. If you think you got gold then get it finished, edited, and polished! Try to get an agent. Go to book conventions of all kinds. Be open minded and never shrug off someone that is trying to give you advice because whether they know better or not all advice can be helpful.

5) Are there any specific resources you found especially helpful as you made your way through the query process?

I find the query process so exhausting! Mostly because everyone has an opinion about how your letter should look or what you should do different and sometimes those opinions clash with others you have gotten. But what was most helpful to me was getting a couple books on the subject and reading them through. Write the query. Then go on to a site where you can get the query critiqued. And make sure you follow the guidelines of whoever you are submitting your work to! They hate it when you don’t

6) If you were forced to evacuate your home with only two possessions what would you take?

My computer and my dog… wait my dog isn’t really a possession though he’s my BFF. Well, definitely my computer and can I group all of my books as one and say that? :grins:

Where to buy the book:

Publisher’s Website: http://bit.ly/9aYtXo

Barns and Noble: http://bit.ly/dpJsLC

Amazon: http://amzn.to/byci6O

Kindle: http://amzn.to/bMzSKN

Website: www.vampyrekisses.com

Facebook.com/kweenkitten

Twitter.com/ejkolodziej

Giveaway Contest: http://www.vampyrekisses.com/?page_id=511

I Got You Blogfest/Blunt Honesty

2010-09-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

If the theme is pick a blogger who has impacted your life/writing/blog, then in a moment of brutal honestly I would have to admit, that while there are blogs I actually read, follow, and comment on the blog that has most significantly, is Julie Powell's blog.

I don't follow her blog. I thought about it after the movie. I checked it out. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. I didn't like the way she didn't mind telling the world that she had an affair and the day I visited the blog her tagline under the blog's title read, "Random Rantings of a Narcissistic Whore." Way to flaunt it, I thought to myself. Needless to say, I didn't click "follow me."

That being said when I watched the movie for the Julie/Julia Project, I was in a similar spot in my life were I was just frustrated with everything. I have/had a day job that I don't care. I'm a cubicle employee just like Julie. I'm also not where I thought I would be in life, just like Julie and my husband and I live in an apartment because we can't buy a house yet, just like Julie (at least at the time of the movie).

But I watched the movie one week after finishing my first manuscript, that didn't take me eight years to complete. I didn't know how to market it and it was controversial. I had never heard of a critique partner. I didn't know what yalitchat or SCBWI was. I read online that after you write a book, you need to write a query and send it around. I planned to do this, but something about it was stilted--broken and I didnt know why. I understood in it's current shape it wasn't marketable. I thought the only way to fix it would be to scratch and start over from the beginning. Same characters different story.

I knew I needed to be writing. (You can't improve if you don't write). I had no ideas. Then I thought if this cubicle employee can come up with a blog that sells a book and a movie, maybe I can too. And if not, at least if I'm blogging, I'm writing something. I racked my brain for something that I could. (I was not cooking fatty French food). The thing is I have no real talent. My degree is English and I'm a law school drop out. But something I read, made me realize that my vocabulary was incredibly weak for a writer and that to improve it needed to read more. I also needed a project, because my life was way to boring to blog about. So from Julie Power and Stephen King Project 52 was born.

Project 52 has changed my life. I started following blogs which is how I learned a lot, and how I happened on to a lot of the books I read. The books bred ideas that crept into my sleep which became Phantom Fires, my recently finished manuscript and Chance Encounters, the ms I'm hard at work on. The blogs explained things from how to find a CP to how to revise. Then I got brave and started emailing authors/bloggers. They were open to it. Happily answered my questions. I learned of writing groups and book clubs, went to my first book signing had a blast, made new friends, learned more and now my life isn't quite so boring.

Firelight Book 32

2010-09-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

Sophie Jordan, a published adult author, enters the world of YA with the soon to be released Fjrelight. I was able to get an ARC of Firelight from my friend Michelle at windowpane memoirs.

I'm not really sure how to review this book. Some moments of it were very good, but there were often many pages between those moments. To be fair, I will state most of the reviews I've seen have been positive. I think I'm going to start with what I liked and then list what I didn't like.

What I like: Most of the characters were very well developed with attributes and flaws. I always knew why they were doing what they were doing. The premise of a dragon girl was interesting. The romance developed very well and was very strong. I think that's what I liked the most.

What Ididn't like: First of all, this book is written in first person present, which seems to be a developing trend, but I've seen it really work in very few instances. This is my personal preference though, so it may not bother you. Aside from that, there are many many fragmented sentences. I'm aware that that is the author's choice, but I think in this case, there are too many of them.
The girl is capable of shape shifting into a Draki, or dragon descendant. It was weird for me because she becomes the draki but it's constantly referred to as something she owns rather than something she is. Also, while there were some really intense moments where I just couldn't put the book down, there were many times when I wondered when something was going to happen. *SPOILER ALERT* And finally, the hunter falling in love with his prey just rung a little too close to Twilight for me. But that again, could just be me as there are no vampires and Jacinda is a much stronger protagonist than Bella.

I saw a lot of potential in this book, but there were sparks missing for me. I think I would give it a two star rating. However, there was enough there that if Sophie Jordan wrote an unrelated book, I'd be glad to check it out.

Mockingjay Review Book 31/Linger Winner Announced

2010-08-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

In holding to true Bethness the proud owner of the autographed and doodled in copy of Linger will be announced after my pithy review of Mockingjay.

Dum, dum, dum....Mockingjay Okay, seriously, it wasn't horrible, but I can't say I loved it as much as the first two either. Collins built a world we were intrigued by, gave us characters we loved, and built suspense like no one else could have. The problem is it came crashing down to a rather abrupt ending. (I won't disclose that, though)!

We saw Gale's true colors, which I saw in book one. Peeta doesn't seem like the same person, which I guess with everything he's been through is understandable. The ending wasn't really tragic though I know a lot of people viewed that way. I think the problem was it came crashing out of nowhere. I stuck out 400 pages, I need a little more than an almost happy kind of sad one page end of story!

And now the proud new owner of Linger is Ebyss. Please email me at bethfred08@gmail.com within seven days so that I can mail this to you.

Quickie

2010-08-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm seriously lost in an endless sea of edits. I want to throw the pages in the floor and make swim in them--that's how many there are. I see this as going on for at least, well, maybe, PERPETUALLY? So this post will be short and sweet.

A promise to CPs--If by dumb luck Phantom Fires gets published I will send you each a pound of chocolate tea.

And now as I have nothing of substance to say I will remind everyone about my Linger Give Aawy and also tell you that you should not expect consistent posts from me for a few weeks as I am drowning in the before mentioned sea. But I love you and as I'm re-writing these teen age idiots and all their supernaturalness I am thinking of you.

XOXOXOXOX

BIG REVEAL

2010-08-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my mc Brandi O'Malley really looks a whole lot like my little cousin Brandi Moore. (yeah, yeah, lazy I know). It worked like this. I researched Irish names for a brother and sister and came up with Brandi and Brandon and since I had one of each at easy access I decided just to let the characters look like my brother and cousin. The problem is she's no celeb and trying to find a celebrity look a like hasn't been a cakewalk. I found this pic and I think with the hair and eyes it's as close as I can get. But our faces are just a bit rounder.
My cuz refuses to give me a picture of her from high school. So here you go...

Guess That Character

2010-08-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Snippet (Rough Draft)
“We’re still covering our unit on the Ten Commandments.” Mr. Meyer said. “Today, we’re going to discuss ‘Thou shall not steal’ and what that really means. There are lots of ways to steal. Children steal from their parents. Employers steal from their employees. You have employees that steal from their employers. Can anyone add to this?”
I raised my hand. Since no one else did, Mr. Meyers called on me. “Corporations steal from consumers. Sometimes they bill a frivolous fee that they really shouldn’t have and sometimes they just blatantly steal and since most people either don’t know their rights or can’t enforce them they get away with it.”
“That’s a good point. Very good. So if you’re doing your job and you’re acting on behalf of a company is it stealing?” he continued.
“Of course. We don’t just get to practice morals when it’s easy. We have to be Catholic all the time.” I answered.
For many years, Laurent’s dad was the president of that giant retail superstore that is the biggest corp in northwest Arkansas, the USA and probably the world—the oh so ethical one, that everyone loves. I guess, he must have spent a lot of time charging distributors frivolous fees because Laurent took offense. “Many times you have fiduciary duty to your client to obtain all sums possible in their favor. Depending on your profession if you don’t do those things you could lose the privilege to continue your profession or be charged with breaking the law. So how could it be a sin?”
“I worked in my daddy’s law firm with him from the time I was 9 years old till the day he died. I was reading law books before I knew who George Orwell was, so I know something about this and if there is one thing I know, you can’t associate the laws of this country with morality. They’re two totally different and often contradictory things. Sorry, Laurent.”
He glared at me. So did the bleached blonde sitting beside him. I guess they didn’t think I could argue with the quarterback of the football team. Non-cheerleading red heads weren’t allowed the privilege.
“Well, if you’re so objected to those laws you could leave.”
That was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. Lots of people didn’t want to be here that couldn’t get out.
“Yeah. If you have money for a passport, and a visa and airfare elsewhere if you don’t like the laws you can leave. Otherwise, you’re pretty much stuck here and everyone deserves equal protection under the law.”
He glared at me. Then leaned over and whispered something into Jennifer’s ear. The discussion continued. I took to doodling on my notebook. Five minutes later I cast my head to the side to mouth something to Sara and I noticed Jennifer staring at me and then whispering back to Laurent. I forgot what I wanted to tell Sara. I looked at Jennifer and said out loud, “Hold a grudge much? It’s not my fault your boyfriend was absurdly wrong.”
Somehow the discussion moved on from “thou shall not steal” to service for the poor. I’m not sure how because I wasn’t paying attention anymore. I just remember hearing Laurent say that poor people in this country choose to be poor. Bri made me work for a food bank on Saturdays. It charged the poor $35 for a “one month food supply.”
My parents got mad at Briana when she moved to California after high school. They cut her off. Bri used the same food bank there. She said it usually lasted her about two weeks, but she could buy an extra package and it was still much cheaper than trying to buy groceries for a month. Briana had never been lazy. That’s the primary difference between us and probably the fault that kept me grounded. When I worked at the food bank, I saw people I never expected to see, like the school librarian. She was at school every day before it opened and she’d still be there for two hours after it closed. I wondered if she would get paid more working for a public library, but probably not enough to matter, I guessed.
“You’re stupid.” I said out loud, not meaning to. Those words just struck me.
“Brandi, we don’t make personal attacks and we don’t resort to name calling. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”
My sister is more respected than me. She is a former vallidvictorian of St. Joseph’s High and I assume middle school and elementary too. She just didn’t get a plaque for that. “Briana’s not lazy.” I said very matter of a fact.
“Briana’s not poor.” Laurent said.
“She was broke when she went to California. Scholarships only pay tuition. She relied on a food bank to eat, which by the way is a Protestant service since I guess the new church stance is it’s the poor’s fault their poor.”
“I think she was the exception.”
“Yes. My sister was the only poor person in the country to work and still be poor.” I rolled my eyes. I didn’t add how stupid his logic was, because I didn’t have to. Most of the class was laughing already.

Interview with Brenda Pandos

2010-08-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tell us about Emerald Talisman. What's it about? Is this the first book in a series?

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves. TET is a paranormal romance, the first of a three book series. The Sapphire Talisman comes out December 2010.

Who or what is your greatest inspiration in writing?

This may sound cliché but Stephenie Meyers inspired me, but not in the way you may think. Her compelling biography encouraged me to try writing a novel. I had no clue what I was doing, but after 18 months, I had a rough draft for The Emerald Talisman.

Do you specifically write YA or are you open to other genres as well? Why or why not?

Right now I’m only writing young adult novels and I’m not sure if I’ll ever venture into the adult side. I’m a kid at heart and enjoy weaving issues kids face into my writing to show the consequences of good and poor choices. Plus, young love and all the emotion that surrounds that time in our lives is an excellent foundation for really juicy drama.

Do you have any suggestions for unpublished writers trying to get published?

Finish and edit your manuscript first. Have qualified persons read your manuscript and give feedback. Be open to the feedback. I found Self-Editing for Fiction Writers an excellent resource. Make friends with people who are doing the same thing and bounce ideas off them. Research the market and make sure your genre and topic matches what publishers are looking to buy. Look to see who the agent is of books similar to what you’ve written and research to see if they are taking new clients. Nathan Bransford has a great blog on all of that. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Are there any specific resources you found especially helpful as you made your way through the query process?

Querying is a scary process. You’ve just spent all this time and emotional energy on your baby for someone to arbitrarily reject and/or criticize with hopes of landing an agent or selling your manuscript. I have to confess, I didn’t go this route. Instead, I started my own publishing company and my novel was it’s first to be published. Knowing the market had been and continues to be flooded with vampire manuscripts, I didn’t think I had a chance. In the process, I’ve become my own designer, agent, publisher, promoter, marketer, and publicist and so far, my novel is selling and well liked. I did have a leg up though because I’m a graphic and web designer. But I’ve found, it’s not so uncommon these days and I get to keep all the profits for myself. I’m planning to publish other novels as well, the next being Soul Stalker by Laura Kreitzer this September. The internet has leveled the playing field and with print-on-demand, I’m able to do it.

If you were forced to evacuate your home with only two possessions what would you take?

Well, since my kids don’t count because they aren’t possessions, I’d take my laptop and their blankies. My laptop is basically my life which is priceless to me and my kids couldn’t live without their blankies.

Thanks to Brenda for the interview and thanks to all of you who voted for my short story. I won the flash match and will most likely post the patch tomorrow.I am still exhausted from this week's travels by planes, trains, and automobiles and am too lazy to snatch the patch from my email.

These Seven Things

2010-08-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

As advertised, yes, I'm giving away an autographed copy of Linger that the queen of YA, Maggie Stiefvater, herself drew a wolf in. But not till after everything else. Haha! Made you look! I'm feeling kinda quirky today. Can you tell?

   Anyhow...
1. Me: "Agents are practically begging for realistic YA romances."
   Emil: "Maybe, you should write one."
   Me: "I read paranormal romances. It's what I love. I'm going to write paranormal and if they want to buy it they will, and if they don't they won't."
   Emil: Laughs."That's funny, the way you say it."
   Me: "I just relate to paranormal people better."
   Emil: "You're weird."
What's the point? I seriously don't know, but I thought it was funny.
2. Miranda: "Did you ever clamp butterfly clippies all over your velvet dress?"
   Me: "Yes, in the 9th grade. I got stares and snickers--it's a hard life."
   Miranda: Hahaha. "I thought I remembered that, but I wasn't sure."
The point in this one? You can still vote for my short story Home at death match
until midnight tomorrow.
3. Amy Holder is giving away ARCs of her book The Lipstick Laws and a few $30 Amazon gift cards, to find out details about the contest check out her site. The rules are fairly simple--follow her and fb or tweet it.
4. My posts may be sporadic the next few days, as my currently annoying, normally adoring husband, and I are going to Vegas/AZ/CA tomorrow.
5. I'm hoping to have my current edits done by Sept. 1st.
6. I'm delaying diverging into details about my Linger give away by writing more text primarily to annoy my husband, because he is really annoying me...
7. AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR....

Okay, you want the autographed and doodled copy of Linger--"Follow me and it'll be alright." Except for you Emil.
Must be a follower to win. You get one entry for putting a link to the contest on Facebook, 1 entry for twitter, 1 entry for blogging it, 1 entry for putting it on a side bar, 3 entries for putting me on your blog list, and 1 entry for leaving a comment on this post. You may fb/blog/twitter links to this contest multiple times and you will receive one entry for each time, provided you leave a link to your shout outs in the comment section on this post. The entries will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn after 5:00 pm central/standard time.

And now I go off to pack and head into vacation leaving you with these seven things ;).

Wednesday & Writing: Jewels from Julie

2010-08-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

As you guessed from the title today's Wed. & Writing will be part two of my interview with Julie Kagawa in which she gives advice to writers. But before I start I just want to remind everyone that my short story Home is battling on YA Death Match and it would be awesome if you could go vote. (You don't have to vote for me, but I would love it).

Da da da! Now for the real stuff!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? When did you start working towards it?

I believe it was in high school, when I learned becoming a veterinarian as planned involved way too much math and science, so I decided to write stories instead. I had this ridiculous notion that I would write and publish a book before I went to college, and pay my way with my book royalties. Hahahaha, ah, naiveté.

Was the Iron Fey your first manuscript?

I was my first published manuscript, but not the first book I’d written. I wrote a couple adult novels that never got published, and a whole slew of half-finished books that didn’t go anywhere. I used to write in 5-star notebooks that I carried with me everywhere, and if you stacked up all those old notebooks, up they would probably reach the ceiling.

Do you have any suggestions for unpublished writers trying to get published?

Keep writing. Novel writing isn’t a skill we automatically know (most of us anyway). You have to practice to get better at it. Learn everything you can about the craft and the publishing business. But most of all, keep writing. It might take years of struggle, and practice, and rejection, but as someone once told me: “if you want something bad enough, you’ll get it. If you didn’t get it, you didn’t want it bad enough.”

Are there any specific resources you found especially helpful as you made your way through the query process?

There are many, many great books out there on how to write query letters and approach agents/editors. What I found most helpful, though, was going to an annual writer’s workshop, where the instructors were all published and have gone through the process themselves. A good writer’s workshop is fabulous for learning the ropes about the publishing industry (and, it’s where I pitched my work to the person who would become my agent, as well.)

The Iron Daughter Book 30

2010-08-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm speechless. I don't even know where to begin. When I reviewed The Iron King, I said that the start was slow for me because I love paranormal but not so much fantasy. I also said that after the book was incredibly amazing. Well, if The Iron King was incredibly amazing with a slow start, The Iron Daughter is amazing from page one. It's beautifully written with unexpected allies and twists and turns on every page. It's eventful to say the least and love triangle between Ash, Meghan and Puck really picks up.

The romance between Ash and Meghan is forbidden as their parents are mortal enemies and that leave Puck readily available. It was a heart wrenching book all the way through to the end. And Meghan is still a protagonist as strong as iron. Both boys spend their time trying to protect her (like certain sparkley vampires and dogs) but Meghan doesn't need it. She's made of steel, though she still takes the time to acknowledge her heart aches.

I read on goodreads that some people found the ending predictable. I didn't but it was beautiful. In fact, I think I'm re-reading the last chapter tonight. I have to say this book was better than The Iron King. I think I gave that one four stars, this is five all the way.

The only thing left to say is, TEAM ASH!!!!!!!!!

Interview with Julie Kagawa, Author of the Iron Fey Series

2010-08-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

I understand that the Iron Fey will be a trilogy. What can we expect to see from you after that?

After The Iron Fey comes to an end, I’ll be working on a new series with a new paranormal creature. Think: vampires. J

Where did you get the idea for this series?

If we’re being quite literal, while I was walking around Borders, trying to think up ideas for a new story. ^__^ But the Iron Fey stemmed from the question: “what are the fey afraid of?” The answer, in most myth and legends, was iron, so what if there was a creature born from the very thing that could kill them? And then I remembered we already have “monsters” in machines, gremlins and bugs and viruses, and from that thought the Iron Fey were born.

Are any of the characters or events in the Iron Fey or Iron Daughter based on people that you’ve known or things that have happened?

Well, not exactly. Meghan is a little like me in the fact that we were both loners and outcasts in high school. Truth be told, most of the Iron King characters come from bits and pieces of books, anime, and video games I’ve loved over the years. For example, Ash is a mix of Heero Yuy (Gundam Wing), Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy 8), and Tamahome (Fushigi Yugi). And Machina the Iron King is a straight up Sephirtoh.

Are you interested in writing outside of YA genre?

Not at the moment. I’m having too much fun writing for YA. I did try to publish an adult novel before I wrote Iron King, but that went nowhere and I like the YA genre better. For now, I’m quite content where I am.

If you were forced to evacuate your home with only two possessions what would you take?

Ooh, that’s tough. Assuming that my hubby and all my pets got out safely, I’d take my laptop (with all my writing), and my katana for protection (especially if it was a zombie apocalypse).

Also, I'm passing on the Versatile Blogger Award to Jen. Check back Wed. and find the advice Julie gives to unpublished writers. I'll be posting the review of The Iron Daughter this week as well.

Flipped Book 29

2010-08-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen is a delightful read yet has plenty of margin for improvement.

This book has several things going for it. First of all, the we've all known someone like Julianna or Bryce. Since the memory of your first love never goes away this is a book anyone can relate too. Both characters narrate in alteration so you get both sides of the story. The author does a very good job of this. Each narrator has a distinct voice but the book has a voice as a whole too and the continuity is never interrupted by the shifts in perspective. The overall voice of the book is light and refreshing.

The characters grew up across the street from each other and in the beginning Bryce "hates" her and she likes him, though things change. However, I'm not entirely certain that he ever really hated her because he knows what she's doing and where she is constantly. As far as the story goes and the character development, I really loved this book. It also addresses some pretty serious issues without digressing too far into them. The ending seems to have taken some heat on good read, but I found it absolutely beautiful.

However, even though I loved this book with all my heart I don't think I could give it more than a three star review. There are several abrupt shifts in tense and I probably would have over looked that except that the setting seems to be sometime in the past but the big sister breaks out a CD player in a scene where they talk about shopping online. It threw me out of the book. It took a fair amount of time for me to get back into the book after that. I'm still not sure what decade I was supposed to be in, because I was in the 8th grade in the 90's and knew no one who consistently started sentences with "buddy" or used the word "willies." And there were other verbal habits that pointed toward the past too, and I think auctioning boys with picnic baskets might get you sued today.

As an unrelated an aside, (but one I'm ecstatic about) C.Lee McKenzie gave me the Versatile blogger award today!

Wednesday and Writing: The World Is Round

2010-08-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

I headed off to college as a theater major destined for the bright lights of L.A. I'd spent Saturdays in high school getting up at 4 am to drive into Dallas (the nearest city) for acting classes, spend the day there then be home in time for my fast food job to pay for the acting classes and the home school I attended for a flexible schedule. One day I just lost the spark. It died. Theater was becoming a pointless waste of time. Unfortuantely, this realization only came to me after the drop date. If I dropped my theater classes, I would lose my financial aid and not fiinish school, so I persevered through 15 hours of more acting classes, four labs, and three part time jobs.

I sat with my script and (because it was graded) wrote a motivation for each line of dialogue my character stated through the entire act. With news of more deaths in Iraq subtly playing from a 12 inch TV in the background, the pointlessness of this seemed even more pervasive.

The semester ended and I got on with my life, kicking myself for so many wasted years. Then a few days ago, I glanced at pages from my manuscript ready to throw it. Not because I don't like the story. I love it, but because the pink in the margins says, "This dialogue goes on forever." Or, "This is completely unrealistic." Or "I'm not sure I buy this." And then the ultimate question "WHY???"

AHA! And with that singular one word question a stroke of genius hits me. Why, that's all that matters. I'm holding four months of work in my hand ready to throw it, but it doesn't need to be tossed, just answered. Why? I'm instantly connected to my meaningless past. If I know why my characters are saying what they are, it's not really bad dialogue. If I don't know the motivation, or there isn't one, obviously it needs to be changed. It works just as well for characters I dream as characters I played. In an epiphany, I understand that incidents aren't isolated but interconnected. Things happen for a reason. The world is round.

Supporting the Writer's Alley: I Got U Blogfest

2010-08-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sheri over at Writers Alley is hosting her first blog fest. She's got some cool prizes to give away, not to mention the opportunity to connect with other bloggers.

You get extra entries for facebooking or tweeting the blog fest but just follow the link, all of the details are laid out.

That's all for today. Short post, I know. But I'll have more to say tomorrow when I return to Wednesday and Writing...And for those of you who caught today's post before it was edited, my apologies. My eyes and I are still adjusting the the mini.

Maggie & Me

2010-08-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Me and Maggie--That's my idol!!!

Maggie Stiefvater was here in Austin at Book People last week as part of her Linger tour and it was absolute blast! Due to a two day stomach "thing" (no idea what it was) and my new found laziness I seem to be the only blogger in all of Austin not to post about it yet. I want to share some info from the Q&A and then bust out some narcissistic pics. (I'm in most of them).

Transcript of Q&A Disclaimer: Totally unauthorized and as accurate as my memory.
Do you believe in happy endings?

"I believe in them like I believe in goats. Goats exist. They're in this world; there are just none in this room right now. So I believe in happy endings. Sometimes they just aren't around and sometimes they are."

Does Isabel like Sam?
Okay, I can't remember the exact words on this one, but it was something like, "Maybe, maybe not." Again not an actual quote.

Will there be another book in the Books of Faerie series?
"Yes. It will be from narrators you already know and it will actually be the rest of Dee's story..." She went on to say that she can't promise when it will be released because it was already supposed to be released once and was delayed.

And I don't remember the question, but perhaps the most exciting news of all--summer of 2012 we will see an new Maggie book, unrelated to either The Wolves of Mercy Falls or Books of Faerie. She assured us it involved blood, beaches, and kissing but wouldn't say anymore. And now for the pics....

The Linger Girls

If you look hard, you can see Maggie reading.

Me & other bloggers

Donut Days Book 28/Gift Card Winners Announced

2010-08-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

The gift card winners' names appear at the bottom of this review. You each have one week to email a mailing address to bethfred08@gmail.com to claim your gift cards. After that another winner will be chosen.

Donut Days is Lara Zielin's debut novel. It's about a teen-age girl whose parents are preachers at an evangelical church in a small and very religious community.

Emma, the main character, struggles to determine what exactly her beliefs are as she does not speak in tongues or have prophecies like the members of her parents' church do. Her situation is compounded by several factors. The church's wealthiest member/benefactor claims to have had a prophecy in which God told him women shouldn't preach. This is a problem for Emma and her family because her parents pretty much built the church and her mother is the associate pastor. In addition to this, she isn't on speaking terms with her best friend and her other friend, a guy, and she haven't spoken in months. She must determine what her beliefs are and how she feels about what's going on at the church alone.

She does this very well while fighting with her parents, and her friend and fighting to win a scholarship as her college fund is only to be used at a Christian college.

Emma is a strong character, almost too much so. But she does accept that she has flaws, which makes her very likable. As she struggles to determine her own religious beliefs, she struggles to find who she is. A struggle most young people face and a struggle many of us continue to face on a daily basis. It's a very real story. Unfortunately, it has a very slow start. I was about one hundred pages in before I really felt compelled to continue. (Before that I was reading it for this review). But after it takes off, it's gone. It gets really exciting, an explosion of events, of language. It gets really good. Then it finishes with an open ending. While neither option is something you really wouldn't want to happen to Emma, it would be nice to know how her story ended. I would give this book three stars for the stuff between the slow beginning and the open ending.

Now for the gift card winners: 1st place Izzy G and 2nd place is Liviania. You each have one week to send me a valid mailing address at bethfred08@gmail.com. Congratulations! And, everyone, be on the lookout as I have it on good authority a signed and doodled in copy of Linger will be up for grabs in weeks to come ;).

Contest Reminder

2010-07-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder, I am still giving away a $20 gift card and a $10 gift card. All you have to do to enter is leave a book recommendation here. You'll find the only rules there. You can find a list of books I've previously reviewed here and a list of books I love here (to help w/ recs that might threaten trolldom).

Thanks!

Chatting with Carrie

2010-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Image from Carrieharrisbooks.blogspot.com

Tell us about Bad Taste in Boys. What's it about and when will it be released?

BOYS is about a girl named Kate Grable. Kate’s super smart, and she’s volunteering as the student trainer for her high school football team. She figures the experience will look good on her college apps, and as an added bonus she gets to be close to her quarterback crush, Aaron. Then something disturbing happens. Kate finds out that the coach has given the team steroids. Except...the vials she finds don’t exactly contain steroids. Whatever’s in them is turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless, flesh-eating...zombies.

Unless she finds an antidote, no one is safe. Not Aaron, not Kate’s brother, not her best friend...not even Kate...

Dum dum DUM.

Now that I’ve hopefully piqued your interest, I feel obligated to tell you that it won’t be on shelves until July 12, 2011. I’m sorry. I hate waiting too. Especially when the waiting involves hot gridiron hunks.

Who is your greatest inspiration in writing?

That’s a tough question, because I get inspiration EVERYWHERE. From people I know, authors I admire, fan mail, and so on. I don’t think it’s measurable; it’s a matter of getting that extra boost on the days when I’d rather play video games or go swimming or even clean my kitchen—anything but write.

But I hate not answering a question, so I’m going to say Richard Simmons. Because he SPARKLES. My second choice was Edward Cullen. Did you know that he sparkles too?

I guess I’m just inspired by sparkles, but isn’t everyone?

Do you specifically write YA sci-fi, or are you open to other genres as well?

I tend to gravitate toward YA fantasy/sci-fi, because I love monsters and my sense of humor hasn’t matured since I was fifteen. But I like the idea of challenging myself. Right now, I’m working on a middle grade, and I’m certainly open to other genres as well. It’s just a matter of finding time to write the blinking things!

Too many ideas, too little time.

Do you have any suggestions for unpublished writers trying to get published?

The thing that really made a difference for me was getting into a good critique group. Getting the right fit is important; you don’t want a group that’s going to make you cry all the time, but you don’t want them to blow smoke up your skirt either. Once I found a group that really challenged me, my writing went to a whole new level. And now, when I’m writing, I can often anticipate what they’re going to say and how to fix it. But not always!

Admittedly, I know a few people who have managed to make it to publication without a critique group or partner. I am almost positive that they’re mutants.

Are there any specific resources you found especially helpful as you made your way through the query process?

Well, I used the print version of CWIM, Query Tracker, and Verla Kay’s Blueboards to identify the agents I wanted to query. I also double checked Writer Beware, and I’m so glad I did because it saved me from some whopping potential mistakes. I kept track of every submission and response in an Excel spreadsheet, and I always triple proofed my queries before putting in the email address of the agent I planned to submit to.

I think the most important thing is to develop a plan of attack. There’s so much info out there, and I think a lot of writers just get so excited because THEY FINISHED THEIR BOOK! And they skip the planning part. Don’t skip it! Writing is a business. Treat it that way. While you can luck into a great deal, I don’t know many people who regretted taking the time to carefully choose their agent.

If you were forced to evacuate your home with only two possessions what would you take?

Image from Carrieharrisbooks.blogspot.com

I’d take my laptop, which contains family pictures, my manuscripts, and access to random YouTube videos to entertain my children. And I’d grab the number for my insurance agent. I think I’d need it.

Linger Book 27

2010-07-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hush, hush winners announced today, but not till the end! Sorry.

Stiefvater wows us again! I've seen a lot of reviews that say it was better than Shiver. It was not! But it was as good and interesting in a completely different way, the writing still lyrical.

This time around Isabel (Jack's sister) plays a more prominent role, and she is a very interesting character, not the "all" benevolent type you usually see in YA. But she's not a bad person either. She's just confident and gutsy. She and Cole (a new wolf with demons to battle) make a really nice contrast to Grace and Sam.

In Linger Grace finds herself deathly ill. She's fighting for her life and her parents forbid her from seeing Sam, so they're fighting to be together as well. I loved this book, but I found her parents over-reaction to Sam a bit hard to fathom as her father left her in the car to cook as a young child, and her parents had no interest in her life at all in the first book. The fact that they're still completely clueless about their daughter while hating her boyfriend makes it a bit more real, but it just seemed uncharacteristic.

Now for the other news, maglove is the winner of hush, hush. She was unable to post her links here due to some technical problems P-52 had this week, but she sent them to me on Goodreads. Maglove please email your physical address within one week to bethfred08@gmail.com

With the struggled Grace and Sam must deal with, combined with the new story developing between Isabel and Cole, it's a very compelling book. And it's Stiefvater, so it's beautiful.

Susan Says...

2010-07-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today I talked with Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Life, Liberty and Pursuit about the book and writing

Tell us about Life, Liberty and Pursuit. What's it about and when will it be released?

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit is a teen love story about a college-bound girl who falls in a pool, the navy recruit who rescues her, and their struggle to choose between following their dreams and daring to love. It was released June 22^nd and is available now in paperback and e-book! See the book website (www.LifeLibertyandPursuit.com) for ways to buy, as well as the book trailer, lost love letters, playlists, and other cool stuff.

Who or what is your greatest inspiration in writing?

My kids, and their perpetual love of stories, is a tremendous inspiration for me. But I truly write stories that resonate with me: powerful love stories, tales about individuals overcoming tremendous obstacles. I’ve always loved storytelling, but just recently started writing them down in earnest.

Do you specifically write YA or are you open to other genres as well? Why or why not?

I write both young adult and middle grade, and I love how those genres are wide open – you can write everything from a love story to science fiction. And I do! My background in engineering tempts me to throw military and technology elements into almost all my stories. While Life, Liberty, and Pursuit is a love story, it also takes David through boot camp and training to be a linguist in the Navy. I’m also writing a young adult paranormal story that occurs in the future, and a middle grade science fiction tale that occurs in the far, far future!

Do you have any suggestions for unpublished writers trying to get published?

Publishing is a tough business. The most important thing is to know is why you are in the writing game – is it simply because you love to write? Do you want to be a bestselling author? Do you just want to hold your book in your hands? Knowing what motivates you is important. I’ve mentioned on my blog that I wrote a Mission Statement for my writing early on, and that’s been a great help in keeping me on the right path. Once you know why you’re writing, then work hard at it. Take it seriously. Write a lot. Write some more. Get feedback. And keep trying. Perseverance is the one key ingredient you must have.

Are there any specific resources you found especially helpful as you made your way through the query process?

I blogged about my path to publication in a series called Adventures in Publishing, but basically my publisher asked me to submit to them. I did, and one thing led to another. I never actually queried, although I will start to querying for an agent soon, for my middle grade book (my publisher, Omnific Publishing, only publishes YA and adult). For writers wanting to learn more about the publishing world, I highly recommend visiting Nathan Bransford’s blog and J.A. Konrath’s blog.

If you were forced to evacuate your home with only two possessions what would you take?

Not counting my husband and kids (because they’re not possessions), I would take my mini-laptop and my two baby kittens. Possibly the cross-stitch my husband used to propose to me, if I had time. Everything else is replaceable.

Remember you can win hush, hush or a $20 gift card.

Wednesday and Writing: On a Tuesday

2010-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Are we there yet?

Yes we are! I am finally the owner of a REALLY ROUGH completed manuscript, 116,306 words or 416 pages. Of course, 10% of this will be removed in editing/re-writing. But I have a complete story from the beginning of a crazy messed up situation till then end where it all plays out, after 4 months! I'm so excited. Don't get me wrong, I fully expect to have three or four re-writes and I'm hoping with all my being I can have a polished product by the winter conference. But all the same, I finished a 416 page manuscript. This is only my second attempt at a full length manuscript. The writing is much better than the first time around and the length has doubled. While it isn't a victory in print yet, it's a victory of sorts.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped with this. And now to answer why I'm doing Wednesday and Writing on a Tuesday night. Well, that's simple. I couldn't resist this post and I have something extra special for tomorrow. Hope to see you there

Quick reminders: You can win Hush, Hush or a $20 gift card.

Burnt by a Book

2010-07-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

I feeling behind on P-52 as we're well into the second half of the years and I've only covered 26 books. I pre-ordered Linger eons ago, but it hasn't arrived. I ordered a couple from the library, but they are in the same status. So desperate for a book to plow ahead I made a run to Book People (a local bookstore) for a quick fix. I came up with the Prophecy of the Sisters and had great intentions of reviewing it as I've wanted to read it for a while.

Don't get me wrong, if a fantasy book is able to engross me I will read it with an open mind. But it's not my genre of choice. So when this book starts out talking about the Hoarders, I have no idea where it's going. The outside cover says The Prophecy of the Sisters and the inside title page says Chosen. Also Ted Dekker's name appears all over the first couple of chapters, not Michelle Zink's.

Befuddled, I wonder what the deal is. I'm trying to figure out why I haven't seen the names of the sisters once in the first three chapters. I flip through the pages trying to make sense of this mess and finally find a blank page. On the other side of it there is a full page of text, the first with Michelle Zink's name. I realize the first five chapers have been replaced with the first five chapters of a Lost book. Yes, I am the proud owner of a misprint.

I feel precluded by some cosmic order from reading either book now. After all, it was fate that I pick up the copy that was neither one nor the other. If I were the author, I would be angry because my reader got burnt. But I'm not the author so my debacle is only should I return the book or try to get both authors to autograph it and give it away in a blogpost or sell it on ebay? You tell me. I have no clue. I've never seen this before.

Please remember I'm still giving away a hardback copy of hush, hush which you can enter to win here and a $20 gift card which you can enter to win here.

hush, hush Give Away/Celebration

2010-07-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

After several hours of trouble shooting and a very patient engineer to follow the coding (Emil) I finally managed to manually add the follower button that everyone else has by default. Yeigh! People can now follow me.

In celebration of this occasion and because I find myself the owner of an extra hardback copy of hush, hush, I am giving away a hardback copy of hush, hush. This contest will work like this:

Follow me: 1pt

Post a link to this contest on any social network of your choice: 1pt

Leave an interesting comment on this post: 1pt

Post the $20 gift card contest on any social network: 3pt

And in your comment, please leave me the number of points you have earned. Also, if you claim points for posting on a social network please paste a link to the posting in the comments. Do so by Friday, please.

A Note of Thanks

2010-07-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

The manuscript is coming along, and things are really starting to look up for me. (I don't mean to imply that there is any interest in it. No one other than my critique partner has ever seen it and it will be A WHILE before they will). But things just seem so much more optimistic now and I have a lot of people to thank for that. I thought today I would take the time to do it.

First of all, I sent an email asking how to find an agent to Kami Garcia, author of Beautiful Creatures not really expecting a reply. I also emailed Robin Mellom, author of Ditched, with that question and a few others. They both took the time to respond to me. It was from them I learned about SCBWI, (a wonderful resource, if you don't know about it, check it out). Thanks to both of you, as I've been a member of this organization less than a month, met some great people and found opportunities I didn't know about.

Maggie Stiefvater, author of Books of Faerie, and The Wolves of Mercy Falls, (which you can find here) had some really great posts on revision (links in the blog from two days ago). Her posts gave me some really great insights to things I'd never thought of. They have me questioning my writing more and looking for ways to improve it, a must if one is to prevail. She also hosts a critique partner match up on her fan site, where I met Jessie Harrell, who introduced me to http://yalitchat.ning.com/ another great resource. Yalitchat has been invaluable to me. The support group is encouraging but there are so many people to ask questions of and they're all willing to answer. Thanks to both of you.

In fact, I met my critique partner, Angela, on YALitchat. She's great. She tears my writing a part and she is there to pick of the pieces when I'm ready to beat myself in the head with a baseball bat because my writing is in pieces. (That's not really a critique partner's job), so special thanks to Angela.

My thanks to Carrie Harris who has agreed to do an interview on my blog. Thanks to anyone reading this, and all of you who participated in my contest.

And last, but not least, thank you to Emil Fred. (No link, he doesn't blog). The person who endures all of my 2 A.M. temper tantrums because the words aren't right or the scene isn't coming together. The person who tells me to keep going when I'm ready to give up and the person who forces me to take a break when it's time to quit but my stubbornness won't allow me to do the logical thing. I love you Emil!

I'm less than a scene away from having what I think will be a completed manuscript, though I will have to piece it together. One month ago, this wasn't the situation. And even if I had finished I didn't know what to do with it, or where to start! I'm going to the Winter Conference now. I'm not sure how it will turn out, but if it doesn't prove successful this year, it will be important for my future success, something I no longer look at as a lingering possibility but a reality within grasp. It wouldn't be without the help I've received.

Sea Change Book 26

2010-07-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Aimee Friedman's Sea Change was absolutely amazing! To put this in perspective, I read a review on a blog about a teen age girl, a mysterious guy and sea lore. This book was set in Indonesia, and I was interested in reading something about somewhere else. I went out to buy it and purchased the wrong book, a book set off the coast of Georgia!

Well, I need to review 52 books this year, and I already paid for it. I decided to read it. The author gives detailed descriptions of everything, something that can sometimes bother me. And I did find the first chapter cumbersome for this reason. But by the end of the first chapter the book had really started to take off. I liked the protagonist and several of the characters really. The initial attraction and romance were authentic to the say the least. This story really came to life for me.

But it was more than that. I hadn't written in years, and when I watched Twilight it was a "Beth" message. Stephanie Meyer's writing style does have some large flaws, but that book spoke to me in such a way that I sat down and wrote a full length manuscript in the course of six weeks. Because of this, I've read the whole series about once a month since I watched the movie, (especially when I have writer's block). As you can imagine, I'm now sick of said series. Stiefvater's Shiver spoke to me in much the same way, but it's hard to re-read because in all of its poetic beauty, it has a slow pace. The reason I found Sea Change to be absolutely endearing is because it's one of "those" books. I don't know if it was a "Beth" message or just the way the words were arranged on the page, or perhaps, the way the story came off the page, but it left me wanting to write. In fact, I was working on a scene I'd been having trouble with and rather than being blocked the problem became, I need to write. I can't put the book down long enough to write.

Just my thoughts, but check it out for yourself.

FYI: The Neverending Bookshelf is hosting a book extravaganza give away!

Wednesday and Writing: People Smarter Than Me

2010-07-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

As on this beautiful Wed. I find myself still the proud owner of an incomplete manuscript, I have decided to make this entry more useful and blog resources for writers.

So Natalie has some good writing advice on her blog in the side column there is a list of links for resources and a lists of posts she's done on writing advice. Maggie Stiefvater has some good posts on revision here and here and here.

And if you still need resources, I attended a workshop this weekend and the instructor left us with this
booklist: Writing Down the Bones, On Writing, On Writing Well, and Making Shapely Fiction.

Someone commented on my contest post that they would like to know the last book I really loved. I've read a lot of good books this year. It's hard to pick just one. I'm going to tell you a few that I really loved and why as I think the why might be more helpful with recommendations that threaten trolldom.

The Twilight Saga, because if I weren't married I'd beat Isabella Swan up and steal her man! Seriously, though the romance is really strong (although I would probably do this).

Shiver, because of the lyrical writing. (Though, I find myself annoyed that my pre-ordered sequel doesn't seem to have been mailed yet).

Beautiful Creatures, because the story is really compelling. The magical elements are strong and very well woven into the story.

The Hunger Games because a lot of the atrocious things that happen in Panem can be found in our society and we tend to overlook them. And Peeta is such a sweetheart.

Technical Issues Resolved/Book Lists

2010-07-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I find myself posting twice today, because I'm blocked. I'm down to two or three scenes of gaps to fill in and then I can start stringing together the scenes I've written at random to make a complete draft. Though, I did some reading yesterday and found I have about a billion inconsistancies and repitition to take care of, because I started writing at random.

I cannot force the two scenes out of my head. It's driving me crazy, making me a nervous wreck. I'm doing what any sane person would, avoiding it.

I'm aware there were some technical issues recently that prevented people from commenting on my blog. They have been resolved. If you would like to comment please do. Since you can comment now, you can also enter the contest, sorry for any inconvenience yesterday.

And as promised a book list of books I've covered on this blog:
Beautiful Creatures
The Queen and I
Skinned
Morganville Vampires
The Secret Circle
The Vampire Diaries
Evermore
The Secret Year (I found this book grossly inappropirate for a YA audience and will not be considering other books by this author).
Shiver
Need
Fallen
Lament
Hush, Hush
The Host
The Iron King
The Hunger Games
indie girl
Eyes Like Stars
Dear John
Princess of the Midnight Ball
Wicked Lovely

Please do not recommend other books in a series of which one has been reviwed. I have already purchased Sea Changed and Donut Days, so you can avoid these as well.

Princess of the Midnight Ball Book 25/Contest

2010-07-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George is a twist on the timeless fairytale The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Honestly, I call it a twist but I don't remember noticing any major differences in George's story and the original. More than a twist, it's really The Twelve Dancing Princesses embellished. The characters are more developed than they are in the fairytale, (since fairytales are so brief the characters are often just a name and a stereotype). But she adds a lot to the story making it more realistic and I think more enjoyable. For instance, the young soldier who saves the girls does it because he's in love with one of them and is trying to protect her. And he does actually know her. After the war ended, he took a job as a gardener at the palace. I like that he knows the girl because so often in fairtytales the story is "You're hot so I'm madly in love with you." This had a much better foundation, mix in some politics and witch hunting bishops and you have yourself a believable fairtytale. It's true the magic is never really explained, but fore me it doesn't need to be. Sometimes things happen that we can't understand or explain, and I'm okay with that. In fact, it's the beautiful part of life.

What I didn't like about it? It came off a YA shelf and it's middle grade. It also had a slow start. But other than that it was a good book. And if I were a younger person I would have loved it.

Now back to the contest, I forgot to mention a very important detail. Provided you follow the rules, you may submit as many entries as your heart desires.

Win $20 Barnes and Noble Gift Card

2010-07-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Contest

Okay so I find my TBR coming to an end! While I'm ecstatic that I've been able to read most of the books on my list, I realize that I have quite a few left to review to complete project 52. I'm asking for your help.

Leave a book recommendation in 150 words or less as a comment somewhere on my blog, and really sell your choice. I will choose the one that screams, "Beth, if you don't read me you will grow a pruple afro and turn into a troll!" The reccommender will receive a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card. I will take a second choice that screams, "Beth, I will eventually cause you to grow purple hair and turn into a troll." This reviewer will receive a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I will also do a full review on each book, so make sure your reccomendation doesn't exceed 150 words.

I heart authors. If you have a book out, feel free to reccomend it. No shame in that!

Rules
Do not exceed 150 words.
Do not recommend a book that has been reviewed on project 52.
Do not recommend books in a series which I have reviewed one of.
Contest is open until Aug. 1st at 5pm central standard time. I will post the winners names on my blog and they will have one week to email me their address. I will then mail the gift cards.
Do not recommend Twilight.--I know, I know. I've never reviwed and I love it as much as you. Team Edward! But really, I'm looking for new books. (The Second Life of Bree Tanner is still Twilight).

Suggestions
I prefer YA. I have a special place in my heart for YA paranormal romances. But genre doesn't matter, as previously mentioned only books threatening trolldom will be chosen.

Aside
I spent enough time in small town, U.S.A. to know that not everyone can benefit from a Barnes and Noble gift card, sad but true. Should you win and find yourself in a town with no Barnes and Noble, mention this in your email and I'll be glad to send you a Hastings card in the amount you won.

Blah.

2010-07-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I seriously need to procrastinate. But for some reason none of my fav blogs have been updated. What is up with the blogosphere today? Anyway, so I've eaten entirely too much today. And after my last round of chocolate, I'm somewhat feeling up to writing again--maybe.

When I started writing scenes at random I made a list of scenes that were needed to complete the book. Every time I cross one off I add two more. At this point I'm 338 pages into it and still can't see an end in sight. Geez.

In Which I Needlessly Chatter

2010-07-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting my needless chatter session. You see I wrote some pages that were kind of blah. I thought I might cut them out later, but hey, they were there for now. I continued writing until I got the crux of it all--the dramatic final scene--no, I am not that close to finished. I'm just writing out of order because my poor re-fried brain can no longer think in a straight line.

So I open the document to finish said dramatic final scene. I re-read the last line to get myself in the mode and what do I realize? It sucks. Not just the last line the whole scene--and you know what this is what the whole book works towards so if the scene sucks that pretty much means the whole book sucks. I hate myself and I want to die!!!!

But not really though! I will finish said mediocre book. Then i will press DELETE! !!!!! I will start over keeping only the characters name and one day ten years from now I might have something worth reading! Ahhhh! but as my finger tips fly speedily over these keys, as i rant my self-hatred I already feel better. SO maybe, I can suck it up and write a better last scene and redeem the book.

*breathes in* *Breathes out* I'm closing my eyes and listening to Stephy chant "angel arms, angel arms" in my head. My crazy college roommate and the meditation exercises necessary for a peaceful co-existence follow. Thanks for the angel arms Stephy. I'm okay now.

Whew.

Wednesday and Writing: Are we there yet?

2010-07-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I started the scenes at random and it's moving this manuscript along, slowly but surely. I've been so busy with the day job recently that I haven't had time for anything else, but it's getting there.

It's still frustrating though, because I made a list of scenes I thought I still needed to get to the end (including the end). I counted them and had a number to start working towards. I didn't realize there were still holes to fill and so the list doubled. But geez, I'm well above 300 pages and still don't see an end in sight.

I just have to remind myself you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Eventually, I will see the end, and then the revision can start. Are we there yet? In answer, no but we will be some day and that's why we work today. I'd love to stay and chat (with the two people who actually read this) but I have scenes to complete so ttyl! ;)

Eyes Like Stars Book 24

2010-07-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev had an absolutely captivating premise. A parentless teen ager with no idea of who her parents were or what her history was growing up in a magical theater, forced to become a heroine when threatened with the possibility of losing the only home she had ever known. I was sold at the magical theater but thrown in a few fairy friends and Shakespearian protagonists and, of course, I bought the book. A decision I can't say I regret, but one I'm not as ecstatic about as I was before reading it.

There is a lot going on in this book: the search for Bertie's (the main character's) background, the search for a kidnapped friend, Bertie's goal of gaining permission to stay in the theater and last but certainly not least the quest to save the theater. Each of these scenes are described beautifully--too beautifully to the point that actions get lost in descriptions and flourishing language gives way to no transitions. One scene turns to another with no reason or rhyme and the reader is left to try to make the leap. Many times you're just lost with no hope of coherency. It's a mess--often times a beautiful mess, but a jumbled mess all the same.

There are also many characters in this book, most of which have previously existed in plays. Bertie is the only original character. With the premise of the book and the situation the author uses them in, I have no problem with the borrowing of characters. The problem is that they are never developed. The author relies exclusively on the reader's prior knowledge of the plays the characters were taken from and the playwright's character development. Despite, overlooking an obvious opportunity to put some work in the characters and show sides that maybe haven't been seen before is the fact that not every reader will be familiar with all the plays characters are borrowed from and the author makes no attempt to fill that reader in. I think it's also an dis-justice to the characters as they are never developed as people.

Even Bertie, the protagonist, isn't well developed. She is sassy. Don't we love a sassy narrator? Well, it's really more bratty. She's often times sassy and rebellious without reason and we have no idea why, other than this is just how she is. It makes it hard to like her.

So why don't I regret spending my hard earned money on this? Well, because in the last 100 pages the author gained some sense of coherency and the story gained a decent pacing. In the last 100 pages, a rather interesting story unfolds and is told in such a way that it can actually be followed! Since this is a debut novel, I'm willing to cut it some slack and since the story did finally develop I may even read the sequel. Though, I remain uncertain.

Wednesday and Writing: Frustrations

2010-06-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it's here again--hump day. I just finished re-writing a scene that I wrote yesterday then let get eaten by the computer--somehow which I still haven't figured out. The re-write isn't as good as the original, but I've re-written it four times since it happened and this is as close as I'm going to get to the words that originally lined the page. ARG!

I'm working on a trial period with a critique partner. Hopefully, this will work out. If not I'll be back at square one because I really don't think I can edit this manuscript without help. On an unrelated note, I wrote Kammi Garcia and she wrote me back! She recommends the SCBWI conference for networking and publishing education. I was grateful for the advice and pleasantly surprised that Kammi Garcia responded to my e-mail. So assuming I finish this dang manuscript and beat it into some kind of presentable shape, I fully intend to go to the SCBWI conference in New York this year. My Prince Charming is coming too, this should be fun ;).

Writing on a Wednesday--A Weekly Diversion from Book Blogging

2010-06-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Okay--so I'm about half way through a manuscript, which until now I've loved. The characters are intriguing and it has a good mixture of heaviness and humor. But my characters are now completely on my nerves. We so aren't friends anymore! Arrrg!!! The things is they told me the beginning of their story and the end of their story but are being completely secretive about the stuff that happens in the middle. I know where they come from and where they're going but have no idea how they intend to get there. I've offered a few options and none of them have worked.

Brandi and Laurent figure it out or you'll be hitchiking your way to the filing cabinet for indefinitely ever after!
Okay, I feel better now.

Critique Partner Wanted: Free Trial Offer

2010-06-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

I'm an aspiring writer of YA fiction looking for a critique partner. I'm looking for someone interested in helping with both line and global edits. I'm happy to do the same or (one or the other should you prefer). If you follow the blog you should have a fairly good idea of my reading list, but if you would like something more in depth to determine if we might be a good fit, I'm happy to send you my TBR list.

Free Trial Offer:
I'm suggesting we exchange the first fifty pages of a manuscript and make edits/comments. If we don't both view it as a beneficial process, we walk away no hard feelings.

If interested please email me your TBR or reading list and a summary of your experience and qualifications to bethfred08@gmail.com

indie girl Book 23

2010-06-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.cincity2000.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2118&Itemid=290

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle Book 22

2010-05-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's undoubtedly obvious that this book was the inspiration for the cultural phenomenon that is Twilight. Since Meyer left out some plot twists and created a few new ones, I'll say she "borrowed" Smith's work. I really want to be angry at Mrs. Meyer for so unabashedly and blatantly "borrowing" but I can't be. While The Vampire Diaries has an interesting storyline and in many ways is much more creative, the book is written in typical Smith style--more emphasis on events of the plot then making them realistic for the reader and a third person omniscient point of view that doesn't allow the reader to really connect with any one style. Stefan was obviously the basis for Edward Cullen's character, but Edward is so real that he jumps off the page. Smith laid the foundation but Meyer created a world a reader can submerge in. It's not nice to "borrow" but I can't be angry since she did a better job.

Catching Fire Book 21

2010-05-08T17:18:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games and is just as good. I can't say much about this one without giving a lot away about both books. But it develops and unfolds beautifully. It doesn't really end on a cliffhanger but with an open ending. I can't wait for Mockingjay, the concluding novel which releases this August. I'm so hoping for a happy ending.

The Hunger Games Book 20

2010-05-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was awesome! It's futuristic, but not sci-fi. North America has been annihilated and converted to a capitol city of Panem with twelve districts surrounding it. During the revolution a rebellious party had to be squashed and the surviving government implemented a variety of stringent rules to make sure a rebellious party never sprouted again.

One such rule, the hunger games, a reality TV show forcing teen-agers randomly selected into a gladiator style fight to the death. Selection may be random but poor kids have a much higher chance of being chosen on "reaping" day than rich kids and anyone of the same sex can volunteer to take the place of the chosen. When 12 year old Prim's name is drawn her older sister Katniss volunteers to take her place.

The male candidate chosen from district 12 (the district Katniss and her family live in) has a special connection with Kat. But in a fight to the death there can only be one survivor. Can Katniss survive?

The Host Book 19

2010-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Host by Stephanie Meyer is set in a world where humans are hosting parasitic aliens. The aliens are not mean or vicious quite to the contrary they view humans as an inferior race due to our violent tendencies. The human is usually erased once it has been inhabited by the alien, but in rare instances a strong personality who is aware of the possibility of being inhabited can survive the insertion (process of putting an alien in the brain of a human body) and co-exist with the alien. It is this scenario that allows the plot of The Host to unfold.

Melanie Stryder a rebellious human resisting the alien takeover of Earth is inserted with an alien life form known as Wanderer, who becomes Wanda through interaction with humans. Because Melanie and Wanda share Melanie's memories they both have strong ties to Melanie's loved ones and go off in search of Melanie's boyfriend and younger brother. They find a whole clan of human resisters with Melanie's brother, boyfriend, and uncle.

The story centers around Wanda trying to gain the acceptance of the humans as she deals with internal conflicts about her own morality. She and Melanie build a strong relationship as they cohabitate the same body, though in the beginning they hated each other. It's a beautiful story that ends beautifully. It's not another Twilight, which is what I was hoping for from Meyer. It got boring in places and I wondered why I was reading it; there is way too much description in places. About 100 pages from the end I didn't think that I was going to like this book, but when I got closer to the end I decided I really liked it and that the ending made up for some of the dull places in the middle. I would also have to say that her writing style really seems to improved between Twilight and The Host. The first "chagrin" was 142 pages in and it didn't appear on every page this time. It's a nice story with strong messages about tolerance and love. I guess I would give it a three star rating.

The Iron King Book 17

2010-04-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Iron King, Julie Kagawa's brilliant debut novel has a slow start but once it gets going it really gets going. And honestly, it took about 200 pages for it to become the kind of novel I like to read, but I think if my tastes were a bit different I probably wouldn't have even found the start slow. Her descriptions of the different characters main character, Megan Chase encounters on her quest to rescue her younger brother from his supernatural abductor are brillinatly creative. More than that it uses fey lore with an innovative twist. YA paranormalcy is genre of choice but after a while all the plots begin to look the same--not true of the Iron King. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Total Randomness And An Apology to Readers

2010-03-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the apology. I promised a review on Uncle Tom's Cabin and it just isn't going to happen. I made it 2/3 through the book, but I'm not going to be able to finish this one. I appreciate the importance of this book, historically and culturally but it's just not my thing. I apologize for any disappointment.

Now total randomness. My whole body is sore and I'm unbelievably tired. I'm trying to keep myself awake until a reasonable hour so that I sleep through the night. My husband is snoring on the couch behind me and assuming he ever gets up and refills the ink cartridge I'm going to start working on sending a short story to some magazine, in hopes of obtaining a credit line to put in my query letter for my manuscript. I've about 1/3 way through a second unrelated manuscript which has less important subject matter but reads better. Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to write today, nor read which I should probably get back to so I can post book 17 soon.

ttyl

Need Book 16

2010-03-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Need is about a teen ager whose just lost her "father" (step-dad) and been sent to live with her grandmother only to learn her biological father is a stalking pixie out ot get her. This was Carrie Jones' debut novel and I have to say it's about what you would expect for a novice. It's not bad. There are some really good twists and turns and I think, some interesting takes on average paranormal lore.

That being said, the writing style bothered me. The whole book is present tense, which I know is becoming a trend, but it still bothered me. It wasn't just that the novel is written present tense, it's really "teeney" if that makes sense. I get that I'm an adult with an English degree who reads teen age fiction and for that reason some of my chosen few could seem overtly juvenile, but the truth is the good ones usually don't. The teen talk issues I had with Evermore, I have with Need, except that in Need it really isn't even teen talk. It's just overly simplistic.

All in all, it's not a waste of time. If you're into paranormal romances or just interested check it out. There is enough going on to keep your interest. When I put it down, I thought how can you love and hate something at the same time, because the story is really good, the writing style just bothered me. I'd give it a two or three star rating, but not more. It is the first novel in a series. I haven't decided if I'll readed the sequel. It'll probably depend on the density of my TBR list.

Fallen Book 15

2010-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Lauren Kate's Fallen makes a nice addition to the YA supernatural romance genre. It was slow in the beginning, but well developed with well rounded characters. I enjoyed it. It was similar to Hush-Hush, but the title actually related to the book, the characters were more realistic and I liked that the author put more thought itno the mysticism behind the supernatural characters rather than just mentioning it.

In honesty, I bought this book on the recommendation of a book club. I thought it would be just another piece of commercial junk, but it was a worthwhile read. I had no idea what the paranormal element might be, but I figured it out fairly early on. (The title is a big hint, duh). But what I really enjoyed about it was all the good versus evil. At the risk of a plot spoiler, the hero is a fallen angel and the last fallen angel book I read was good, but at the end I was lost as to the point. I felt that I had read a good story and it mattered for absolutely nothing because it was rather themeless. I didn't have that frustration at the end of Fallen, which is going to be a trilogy and I'm looking forward to Torment arriving this fall. Because while I hate it when authors make series out of something that really doesn't need to be a series, there are some plenty of questions left unanswered for a sequel in this case.

I recommend this book ;).

Lament Book 14

2010-03-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

What happens to cloverhands who can't control the fey? It appears that Deirdre Monaghan is about to find out firsthand. Or will she?

In Stiefvater's brilliant tale Lament, Deirdre, a high school girl/ musical prodigy finds out she has some extraordinary gifts other than music and struggles to accept this, not to mention deals with the consequences such "gifts" bare. She is helped along the way by Luke Dillon. Luke has a past out of his control that he struggles to overcome as he helps Deirdre accept what her gift does or does not mean.

The plot is exciting and the characters well developed. It's a story of first love, finding yourself and overcoming hardships. It was also Stiefvater's debut novel. It reads extremely well for a debut novel, but to a person who has previously read Shiver, I think it's obvious that it's a debut work. While the story is more than intriguing and the reader is compelled to go on, the poetic prose of subsequent works doesn't thrive here. It's still a good read, just not what I expected from the author of Shiver!

Random Ranting: Frustrated

2010-03-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

I am so unbelievably frustrated today. I've made all the edits to Redemption more than once now and no matter how many times I save these changes continue not to save! Aaarg! This day job really cuts into my writing time and the situation feels hopeless. I've never even had a short story published which I'm told means querry letters will be a fruitless nightmare. Still, I keep trying.

--Doomed to despair.

hush, hush Book 12

2010-03-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

Becca Fitzpatric debuts with Hush, Hush, a beautifully written, action packed teen paranormal romance.

All in all, I have to say I enjoyed it. It's definitely a page turner--but there's almost too much action. Things just spiral out of control and while your questions get answered in due time there is so much going on that it would be better to pick a few sub-plots and fully explain them than jam pack everything. All the same, it held my attention.

Norma Gray is a high school girl who due to a new seating arrangement finds herself biology partners with a new guy, Patch. Patch is dark and mysterious and seems to be hiding something big--and well it is big. He's a fallen angel. Norma lingers between being afraid of Patch and being attracted to him. Although, we feel the attraction almost immediately. But Patch is not a nice guy! He's rude to her and seems to be stalking her. Not to mention the way he flirts is often times inappropriate, and he has secrets that go far beyond merely being a fallen angel. I didn't like the guy. Norma's parter in crime/best friend helps her investigate Patch. Norma and Vee, the best friend, spend a lot of time together so we get to see Vee way too often. She's annoying. I don't think she's a very good friend and I didn't really find her actions all that believable.

For a debut novel this would great. As a debut piece I give it a four star rating, if it weren't a debut work I would give it a three star rating, because some of the characters really bothered me. But more than that, there is a a brief statement about how people change and I guess that's the theme? Because honestly at the end I found no theme, and no meaning.

Glass Houses Book 11

2010-02-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

On page 1, I had such high hopes for Rachel Caine's Glass Houses (book 1 of The Morganville Vampires Series). It's about a nerdy girl who starts college two years early. I'm a nerdy girl who started college 1.5 years early and could totally relate to being hazed in the the dorms! It's also set in Texas, so the flip-flops and tacos seemed oh-so realistic to me, but page 1 turned into page 5, page 25, page 55, page 75 and then somewhere around page 95 this book finally started moving. Wow. I don't have time to read half of a mediocre book, to finally start moving.

There are a few problems with this book. First of all it really is half way through the book before it starts going anywhere at all. The whole town is ran by vampires and Claire, our nerdy girl, learns this pretty early on. It just doesn't seem realistic. I'm not trying to be a buzz kill, I get the willingness to suspend disbelief and believe me I love vamps to the point my husband is jealous of Edward Cullen, but come on a whole town being ran by a vamp regime that imposes a blood tax is a bit too far fetched even for me! There is no romance which is alright, except for the blurb on the inside front cover says throwout Twilight and replace it with these (no self respecting teen age girl, or ya romance fan would ever) and the fact that vampires are really associated with dangerous forbidden love. Even evil ole Count Dracula lured innocent women into the castle with his charm to betray them by draining them, come on!

The bigger problem is most of the book I was bored. It did start going somewhere in the second half but I found myself wishing it would be over many times before 3/4 of it had passes and it finally got really good. I read my way to the end. And there was quite a bit of suspense in the end; I'm not sure it was enough to make up for the first 3/4, but hey--it got better. The first book ends with a cliff hanger. The second book is published in the same edition (and I'm not lamenting this because the book cost what a single edition would have anyhow) but that was pretty much a given that the characters all survived and the world wasn't going to end. That being said I went ahead and read the first page of The Dead Girls Dance just to make sure. So I have book two. At the end of the month when I've read my monthly budget am bored and broke I will most likely read The Dead Girls Dance, but not as long as I have better reading material laying around.

Monthly Book Spree

2010-02-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday of the month is my day to hit Barnes and Noble, pick up my new feigns and usually celebrate the occasion with cheesecake and a mocha, although today that had to be a peppermint mocha and coffee cake because cheesecake and I are a strictly forbidden pair until Easter (the end of Lent).

Today's books: The Secret Year, The Iron King, Hush, Hush, Lament, and Fallen. I've ordered Hunger Games and Like Water for Chocolate from the library. By the time I finish my buys, I'm sure they will be available.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was meant to be the next P-52 book, but it is proving to be less than a "fun" read and as I'm having to force myself to continue while I've committed to reviewing it, I'm sure a few more will pop up, before I reached the end. I'm less than 1/5 way through Uncle Tom's Cabin, but 1/2 way through Glass Houses, which I actually started later but expect to review sooner!

Anyhow toodles!

I've Learned...

2010-02-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

1) It is serioualy annoying to regulary write a blog that not one person reads! But that's cool, I'm learning and that was the whole idea of this project.
2) Characterization, (at least, to me), seems to be more important than word choice in fiction. Who would have thought? Deffinitely, not I. I am obsessed with Twilight, absolutely and uncontollably to the point my poor husband wants to run as far as possible from our apartment any time the word is mentioned. I've always found this interesting because there are many things about Stephanie Meyer's writing style that I really don't like. For example, her favorite word is chagrin. It's a good word, but really, it does not need to appear in every other line of a four book series. That is just too much. It's not just "chagrin" "god like creature" was a bit overdone too. The writing style improves over the course of the series. My favorite books are Twilight and Eclipse. I read New Moon once, but when I re-read the series (which happens often), I always skip past the first 2/3 of New Moon to the part where Alice comes back and read from there. re-read Breaking Dawn at all, because Jacob's imprinting on the baby and her being more attached to him than her father really bothers me. And Bella's willingness to bring Jacob along to every family event also bothers me. Though the romantic interest seems to be gone with his new imprint, (her child), it still seems that she hasn't completely chosen Edward. The point is while there are many things I don't like about The Twilight Saga, something compels me to read it sixteen billion times.

The first time I read the powerful prose that flows like poetry of Shiver, I thought Shiver is the new Twilight and Stiefvater is a much better writer. I cling to the second statement. But I haven't re-read Shiver, because when I past my bookshelf, as much as I enjoyed it, no voice in my head screams to me to take it from the shelf and read it again. I pondered on this. Because on the last page of Shiver, I closed the book and said "Wow." I walked into the kitchen and read the last two pages to my husband. But when I closed Twilight for the first time, I said I would have "X." And listed the things I would have done differently. After careful consideration I realized that Stiefvater's word choices are beautiful, powerful, different, the words on the page are interesting. The plot is strong, but Sam and Grace don't come to life the way Edward and Bella do. I guess, I've learned that I read fiction because I like the characters. It's freeing in a way. Now, I can invent characters that people really want to hang out with and just write worrying less about the word choices, but what I wouldn't give to be able to choose words like Maggie Stiefvater.

So Far To Go: African Americans in American Literature

2010-02-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I write a weekly article for an online magazine which is published on Mondays. Today I'm on the cover page with an article that asks why African Americans aren't given a more prominent role in American literature.

http://www.cc2k.us/

Check it out ;)

The Secret Circle Book 10

2010-02-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

The Secret Circle is actually a series by L.J. Smith, author of The Vampire Diaries.

In writing 101 most people learn that a story has a beginning, middle and end. The Secret Circle does provided you read the entire series as one work. I don't think the separate books, really work as stand alone books! This series didn't do so well when it was originally released as three books. It was re-released with The Vampire Diaries in the midst of the Twilight mania. This time it was released as four books in two volumes. In book 1, The Initiation, Cassie (the main character) meets an attractive guy on a beach and helps him avoid conflict from another set of boys. She is then forced to move to the home of a grandmother she has never met and the kids at her new school are anything but nice to her. She is befriended by a popular girl and due to some unfortunate circumstances her luck begins to change. Adam, the hot guy from the beach, shows up near the end of the book. He is Cassie's popular protector's boyfriend and was gone looking for things for the The Club, the coven of witches Cassie has just been initiated into.

The Club has a mix of characters some pure, some purely evil. In the next two books a forbidden romance develops between Cassie and Adam and they skirt around to avoid hurting Diana, Adam's girlfriend. Aside from this some really dark forces are developing as well. Cassie's initiation into The Club happened only because the younger sister of two club members who was supposed to be initiated was killed. This perpetrator was originally expected to be someone outside of The Club who opposed witch craft and disliked club members. But as the story unfolds in the The Captive Part I, The Captive Part II and The Power the force behind that girl's death seems to be much darker and more powerful than a single mortal. The Club, through all of its struggles, takes on this darker force in an effort to save basically everyone.

When read together like this, The Secret Circle paints a complete picture and tells a complete story. It should never have been sold as a series. Maybe, I'm yet to be published because I write to send a message and tell a story rather than to make a million dollars. But I hate that YA publishers and writers seem to consistently make series out of things that aren't in an effort to sell more books. Twilight was originally supposed to be two books, in which the wolves played a minor role, the Cullens defeated James and Victoria and Breaking Dawn ended essentially the same way. When it did so well in sales, all of the sudden Edward needed to leave Bella and this awkward friendship/romance needed to disregard all boundaries between Bella and Jacob resulting in an extra two books with a series that ends the same way. (And I'm more okay with that since each book had a beginning, middle and end)! Skinned was about a copy of a human brain placed in an artificial body struggling to determine whether or not it was human. It wasn't. The book ended. But then two sequels popped up.

The Secret Circle is about a group of kids many missing one or both parents struggling to become who and what they are, and dealing with the responsibility that entails. It's entertaining--a page turner. The whole series is 785 pages and tells one story. It should have been one book. In honesty, the story was good enough that I probably will by both volumes of The Vampire Diaries, although I feel certain in the end I'll have the same complaint. But I don't appreciate publishing companies milking me for dimes by selling a normal size book in two volumes to increase profits.

Dear John: An Inauthentic Romance

2010-02-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

Okay, my review was published at CC2K magazine. As promised here is the link to the full review:

http://www.cincity2000.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2042&Itemid=290

Dear John Book 9

2010-02-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

The latest read on the P-52 list was Nicholas Spark's Dear John. The book had a powerful ending. It was a theme driven book and even then the artsy type. There is one good scene around page 170--more nothingness--then a heart wrenching ending. The problem is making it through the first 200 + pages to get to the good part. If you're dedicated enough to do this, you'll find it a worthy use of time, otherwise you'll burn it for firewood.

I had great expectations for this book because of Spark's notoriety. This was my first Sparks feat though I enjoyed the film adaptation of The Notebook immensely. Truth be told, I needed to read this book and made it a P-52 book, because I'm reviewing it for a pop culture magazine, in light of the recently released motion picture. I won't be seeing the movie as I don't see how you turn a mere 335 pages into a movie AND I really don't think I could sit through it a second time--not just because it's a tear jerker--I saw Titanic 13 times--but because it was that dull.

I'm aware this wasn't as in depth as usual, but that's because I'll be posting a link to the mag article on Monday, when it's published and I'd love you all to read it--look forward to it, even!